Icewind Dale Novelization
by SilentGuy2011
Summary: A team of adventurers are assembled by a veteran adventurer named Hrothgar to investigate a disturbance in Kuldahar. However, disaster strikes, and only seven adventurers remain to fight the evil in this epic story. Can they prevail?
1. Chapter 1 Legends of Icewind Dale

_My name is Jovan Goldmarsh. I am a half sun elf, half wood elf hailing from the High Forest, and I have been an adventurer for nearly two centuries. I still have not seen everything Faerun has to offer me, and that is what I love about adventuring- there's no shortage of brand new experiences. When I was but a child, sheltered by my parents and older siblings, I somehow instinctively knew that the world outside the High Forest is much bigger, filled with many interesting creatures both beautiful and repulsive, friendly and hostile. When I grew older, a friend of my father, who is a ranger of Silvanus, also trained me to be a Ranger of Silvanus, and when I was prepared to leave my hometown, the first town or city I ever visited was Silverymoon. Much of my travels and adventures took place in the north, I've never been far south to Calimshan before. Long ago, however, I lost almost all of my love and zeal for adventuring. Let me just say that adventuring is not always full of wonder, discovery and romance, but also tragic losses. Right now, I'm going to tell my most recent story to you, which took place in Icewind Dale, a region that I don't visit very often. On my visit to one of the ten towns of Icewind Dale, called Easthaven, I had been asked to go on an expedition with a dozen other adventurers. And so, this is where my story begins, in a time long before Time of Troubles, before the legendary dark elf ranger hero, Drizzt Do'Urden made his presence known above the Underdark, the month of Mirtul in the Year of the Cold Soul, 1281 DR is the time when the story I am about to tell you took place. This is not just my story, though, this story also belongs to the people I traveled with, in an epic adventure we will never forget._

_-Jovan Goldmarsh_

* * *

Alone, on my own during my arrival at Easthaven, I walked through the small town in the morning of the 2nd day of The Melting (2 Mirtul, 1281 DR), searching for an inn to stay in. I walked through the cold terrain, my body wrapped inside a thick brown cloak to keep myself warm. I am wearing +1 studded leather armor with thick brown leather boots, gauntlets and gloves, and the weapons I carry with me is a high quality long sword, forged by a blacksmith from Everlund who is a friend of mine, and I have a belt with five pouches each one holding at least three darts of stunning and three darts of wounding, and the third pouch holds ten +1 crossbow bolts, and I have a lightweight crossbow strapped to my back. I have no shield, nor do I need one. And as for the town Easthaven, it is not as large as it will be decades from now. Today, in the Year of the Cold Soul, Easthaven is more of a village than a town. It is a collection of ramshackle huts crowded together upon the icy shores of a very large lake called Lac Dinneshere, where fishermen go out in their fishing boats and catch fish known as knucklehead trout, which can be only found in Icewind Dale's three lakes. The ivory bones from this fish is in high demand all over Faerun because skilled artists can use the ivory to carve magnificent sculptures, this art is known as Scrimshaw.

As I neared a tavern called Winter's Cradle, in the northern part of Easthaven, I could smell the fresh odor of knucklehead trout that the fishermen were hauling in from the docks. I approached the door to the inn after three humans walked out, then entered the hut. The brightly burning fireplace in the tavern did a good job warming the room up. I felt more comfortable to open my cloak and approach the bar where the human bartender is cleaning cups and flagons. She took noticed of me after I sat down next to a halfling drinking ale.

"What can I get for you, dearie?" She asked me politely with a warm smile.

"Give me a warm drink, I don't care, as long as its not alcoholic," I replied.

The bartender chortled and began to decide which good drink to give me.

"I don't have warm ale, but this fine quality ale of mine should do the trick. Besides, the fire should be able to warm you up pretty good," the bartender said.

I nodded. "It'll do."

"That'll be 2 gold pieces," the bartender said with a friendly smile.

I gave her the gold and enjoyed my drink, which is called "Grisella's Dale Ale". It had a nutty bite in the flavor, but I liked it. As I was enjoying my drink, I heard footsteps behind me, but I didn't pay any attention to it until the person approaching the bar sat down next to me to my right. The bartender seemed to recognize the man sitting near me. When I turned to look at the newcomer, he met my eyes, and smiled. He is human, in his early or mid 40's, long black hair tied to a ponytail, a thick black mustache and beard, and he wore a silver fur cloak over his clothing.

"What's this? New face in town, eh? Well met stranger. The name is Hrothgar, originally from Hillsfar, but now, after years of traveling up, down and under Faerun, I am content to call this town home. Who might you be?"

"Greetings, Hrothgar. My name is Jovan, originally from the High Forest, and I've been an adventurer for nearly two centuries," I replied as I shook his hands. I noticed this his hands are rough, and strong, the telltale sign that he has used his sword in more than one occasion.

"Well then, Jovan, welcome to Easthaven. Whatever your business in these parts might be, I would offer you this small piece of advice: while you are in my town, you'd do well to be on your best behavior. These folk are under my protection, and anyone who seeks to do harm to them in any way shall answer to me."

"Don't worry, Hrothgar, I swear that you and I will remain on good terms," I promised sincerely.

Hrothgar nodded sharply in approval. "Glad to hear it. That said, I'll let you get back to your cups. I'm sure you've had a long journey, and you'll find that there's no better way to shake off the cold of the road better downing a few mugs of Grisella's best."

Then Hrothgar stood up and walked away a few steps then turned around to face me because he wanted to tell me something he nearly forgot.

"Oh, and if you are in need of lodging, I would recommend talking to Quimby over at the Snowdrift Inn, over on the east side of town."

"Thanks," I nodded gratefully.

"And equipment and supplies can be purchased next door at Pomab's Emporium." Hrothgar explained then he frowned in a dejected way. "Pomab's prices are a bit high, even for a Calishite, but you'd be better off well equipped and short on coin than the other way around. Ill-prepared travelers don't last long in these parts. When you feel well rested, come see me at my house, it's just a couple huts west form here. There's some business I want to discuss with you," Hrothgar said before he walked out the door.

"Farewell," I said before he left.

After he left, I continued drinking Grisella's special ale, and Grisella herself watched me drink for a moment.

"So, where are you from, dearie elf?" She asked me.

I set my cup down.

"I hail from the High Forest. I've been on the road adventuring for a very long time, but recently, I've become penniless," I said.

"So you spent your last gold to buy a drink? Is that what you are saying?" Grisella asked.

I nodded tentatively.

"Well..." Grisella paused and scratched the back of her neck. "I am in a bit of a bind right now. See, you just drank the last of my ale, and now I'm out of everything."

"Really? You are?" I couldn't believe it, and I just became hungry seconds after I finished my ale.

"Well, the tavern hasn't run completely dry. I do have some stock down in the cellar, but..."

"But what?" I became curious.

Grisella couldn't keep eye contact with me and she continued rubbing the back of her neck as if she is ashamed of something.

"This is rather embarrassing... but I'm having somewhat of a pest problem down in that dirty ol' cellar, and I'm afraid to go down there. I do so hate bugs! Just the thought of those nasty creepies and crawlies sends shivers down my spine."

"Don't worry. I'll go down there and get rid of them myself," I said as I stood up.

Grisella smiled at me gratefully. "That's awfully sweet of you, dearie. but I don't expect you to go to any trouble on my account. I'll pay you for your services," she promised.

"If you would simply offer a warm bowl of soup, I would still oblige," I smiled back warmly.

"That's wonderful! The doors to the cellar are right behind me. Now you be careful, dearie, and don't let any of those creepy buggers come up here, all right?" She instructed me as I walked around the bar from the left.

I nodded at her as I walked past then opened the door and walked downstairs. As I expected there is little light down in the cellar, and the air smelled a little damp. Not that I need light, as an elf, I have low light vision. When I reached solid ground, I looked around, seeing dusty wine containers, crates, and the corners of the ceiling had cobwebs on them. It seemed like Grisella hasn't cleaned the cellar or been down here in a month or two. At that moment, I heard something skittering along the floor. I looked down to my left and about 5 feet away from where I stood, I saw two red colored beetles moving aimlessly across the floor. They are the size of rats, nothing I can't handle. I don't even need to use my sword.

I just simply walked over to them, and crushed one of them under my boot. The second one tried to run away, but I caught it with my other boot, crushing it. Then I checked around for more beetles. Two more scurried out from under a dusty pantry when I opened the doors. I put an end to them the same way I did to the first two. The last beetle crawled away towards the crates, trying to lose me. With my low light vision, it is impossible for me to lose track of my target in darkness. I don't mean to brag, but even though elves, even half-elves have innate, natural abilities unlike humans, we are not without flaws of our own. After I double checked the cellar for any beetles I may have missed, I returned upstairs.

"You're back! Have you taken care of my pest problem?" Grisella turned around to greet me when I opened the door.

"Yes, those beetles shouldn't trouble you anymore now that I've squashed them," I said.

Grisella smiled in relief. "Oh thank you, thank you, dearie! Here, some gold coins for your good deed," she reached into the pockets of her apron and handed me 200 gold coins.

I looked at the coins in my hands for a few seconds, then at Grisella. "Thank you. Thank you very much. I'm feeling famished now, so could you please make some vegetable soup before I go see Hrothgar?"

"Sure, dearie!" Grisella nodded.

* * *

It took her an hour to prepare the soup, but when it was ready, I didn't hesitate eating it. The hot broth burned my tongue, a punishment for being overeager to calm my growling stomach. I waited a few minutes for the soup to cool down a bit and then I enjoyed it. After being well fed for a long journey here to Easthaven, I finally left Winter's Cradle inn and headed for Hrothgar's house, which is apparently the largest hut in Easthaven. I walked over to the front door, stood near it and knocked three times, waiting for Hrothgar to answer. He opened the door four seconds later.

"Ah, Jovan! Come in!" He said.

Without hesitation, I walked inside. And the inside of his house is very warm, thanks to his large fireplace, burning many logs of fire, sending smoke rising up the chimney.

"Welcome to my home, me friend. Please, make yourself comfortable, but try not to break anything," Hrothgar said as he guided me to his large couch, which is placed 6 feet in front of the fireplace.

As I walked over to the couch alongside Hrothgar, I took notice of the various objects and artifacts hanging on the walls, and Hrothgar noticed that they had my attention.

"Many of these curiosities that you see lying about have... sentimental value," Hrothgar continued as I sat down on the couch, making myself warm and comfortable.

I looked up on the wall above the fireplace and I saw three hunting trophy heads hanging on the wall. The head in the middle is a minotaur, the head to the left of the minotaur head is a mind flayer head, and the head to the right of the minotaur head is a lizard man's head! I looked to my left and saw that a few feet away from me near the corner of the large room is three rows of display cases made of glass holding many kinds of artifacts that Hrothgar has found in his adventuring days. I was impressed. Never before have I seen a man decorate his house with so many trophies and artifacts.

"Where did you get all this stuff?" I asked him as he sat down on the couch near me.

"Ah, they are all remembrances of my adventuring days, little trinkets and the like that I picked up here and there. more keepsakes than valuables, really, leftovers from my days of fortune and glory," Hrothgar said proudly.

"So you're a retired adventurer, then?" I asked him.

"I've settled down a bit from my adventuring days, but no, I have not yet given it up completely. That reminds me, I'm putting together an expedition of sorts, one which would surely provide opportunities for both fortune and glory. This is the business I wished to speak to you about."

"Is that so? Tell me about this expedition. Where are you going? Who is going with you?" I became intrigued.

"We've received word from Kuldahar, our neighbors to the south, that evil forces are stirring nearby in the Spine of the World mountains. I am organizing and leading a party of adventurers who will travel with me to Kuldahar Valley to investigate. You look like a capable adventurer, Jovan, so that's why I've decided to select you as a member of the party I am organizing. What say you?

"Before I give my answer, what kind of evil force are you talking about?" I asked curiously.

Hrothgar frowned slightly in concern. "I don't really know. The messenger wasn't too specific. I suppose if you want more details, you could ask old Everard over at the temple, but time is a-wasting. We need to get this expedition moving right away before the snows seal off the pass to Kuldahar. So what's it going to be, Jovan? Are you in or out?"

I wasn't expecting to be suddenly dragged into an adventure so soon. I didn't come to Icewind Dale for business reasons, I came here seeking adventure, but it seems adventure found me when I least expected it.

I nodded. "Yes, Hrothgar. I'm in."

My answer brought a wide grin on Hrothgar's face.

"Excellent! Glad to have you on board, Jovan," he shook my hand after we stood up on our feet. I plan to assemble the rest of the expedition and set out for Kuldahar tomorrow. With storms brewing in the mountains, I'd rather we depart as soon as possible, but I am waiting for two more of my party members to arrive with supplies from Pomab. They are late. Very late, and I hope it has nothing to do with Pomab's concerns with the supply caravans being late. Normally I take his complaints with a grain of salt, but, recently..."

"I could go check and see what could be the problem," I immediately volunteered.

Hrothgar raised his left eyebrow. "I wasn't expecting you to volunteer for this, but thank you." He shook my hand firmly once more.

"Besides, I would like to meet some of your party members if I am going to travel with you and them. So who are the people you sent to buy supplies from Pomab?" I asked.

"Well, since you asked, I'll tell you a little about them. First, there is Gorris of the Bear Tribe, one of the local barbarian tribes here in Icewind Dale, and there's Xalorn Rendar, a half-orc barbarian who is a close friend of Gorris and adopted member of that tribe, and there is Andy Gray, a young human mage from Neverwinter. If you find them, please help them with whatever is preventing them from buying the supplies we need for our expedition. The party members I sent to purchase foods and drinks for our expedition have encountered no problems," Hrothgar explained.

I headed for the door. "Don't worry, I'll see what's wrong," I said before walking out the door.

I headed for Pomab's Emporium, which isn't far at all from Hrothgar's house, trying to keep my body warm underneath my thick cloak. Not too many elves come this far north, and now I see why. When I approached the door, opened it and stepped inside, I heard Pomab himself arguing with two men at the service desk 8 feet ahead of me.

"... How many times must I keep telling you barbarians? Let me see your coins first before I show you my wares!" Pomab argued at the three men standing on the other end of the service desk.

Xalorn, the half-orc man in body armor made of thick leather and wolf pelts, slammed his fist on the table in frustration.

"I don't trust you, Calishite! We want to see what you have before we buy it, to make sure that you don't swindle us," he said.

Pomab looked incredulous now. "Swindle? Swindle you? Who will swindle who? How do I know that you have nothing to barter with other than wolf pelts and polished stones?"

Gorris, the human man who appears to be 27 years old spoke now. "Pomab, we are trying to prepare for an adventure here. We have no wolf pelts, or polished stones, just gold, and we don't want to spend our gold on low quality weapons, not when we are going on an expedition with Hrothgar and some other adventurers to Kuldahar," Gorris reasoned.

"Listen to the man, Pomab. Be reasonable here, then we can all get what we want," Andy said.

He has dark blue eyes, short, dark blonde hair and wore a thick cloak over his robes to keep himself warm, and he has a few freckles on his face.

Pomab darted his eyes left and right at Gorris, Andy and Xalorn as I slowly approached. Before Pomab could speak out, probably in further protest, I called out, saying: "Hold, maybe I can be of some assistance," grabbing the attention of Gorris, Andy, Pomab and Xalorn.

"What's this? More barbarians come to my shop?" Pomab said to me.

"I am no barbarian, Calishite. I am an elf, and I too have been selected by Hrothgar to go on an expedition with him. Now, let us see your wares, otherwise you won't see our gold," I said as politely as I could.

Xalorn looked at Pomab with a triumphant smile that said "Oh yes! We have backup! You're in trouble now!".

Pomab's face flushed red in anger. "How dare you speak to me in such a manner! Do you know who I am?" He demanded.

I sighed.

"You're Pomab the Arrogant?" Xalorn joked.

Pomab huffed, crossing his arms. "Hmph! I am Pomab Ak'azmhir, Royal Diplomatic Envoy of Calimshan and Appointed Overseer of the Northern Caravan Routes!"

Gorris started chuckling. "Oh, I see, I get it now. Your appearance as a lowly shopkeeper is just a clever disguise... to throw off any would-be assassins. Am I right?" He asked, smiling.

Pomab scowled sharply at Gorris. "Your poor attempt at sarcasm is an obvious sign of your lowly birth. I'll have you know that I am third cousin to the Pasha himself! Not to mention a royal courtier in good standing."

I had to step in before Gorris and Xalorn could make the argument worse.

"Never mind them, just show us your wares," I urged.

Pomab paused for a moment, and as far as I could read his scowling expression, I thought I could tell that he had a confession to make. My hunch proved to be right.

"I... don't have much to sale. My stock is very thin at the moment," he admitted.

"Ah! So that's why you're in a sour mood. What happened?" I asked.

"I was expecting a caravan from Caer-Dineval to arrive today, but they are two hours late. If they don't arrive soon, I'll be out of business," Pomab admitted calmly.

"We'll find out what happened to your caravan. Where should we go?" Gorris asked.

Pomab shrugged. "I suggest you head for the hills west of Lac Dinneshere, between Easthaven and Caer-Dineval, because caravans usually stick close to the shoreline of the lake this time of year."

"All right, the day is still young, so we should go find this caravan before nightfall," I instructed my new companions.

"You'll hear no argument from me, uh..." Gorris said then paused, waiting for me to reveal my name.

"I'm Jovan Goldmarsh from the High Forest," I shook his hand.

"I'm Gorris, and that muscular guy over there is Xalorn Rendar, we've known each other for 18 years," Gorris said as we headed out the emporium.

"And I'm Andrew Gray, but please, call me "Andy"." Andy said.

"Really? You've known each other that long?" I asked them as we stepped outside and Gorris closed the door behind us.

"Yeah. I like to think of Xalorn as a brother, right Xalorn?" Gorris gave Xalorn three friendly slaps on his back.

"Yes, Gorris, that is true," Xalorn nodded.

"Let's go see if Felicia is prepared to come with us to check on that lost caravan. The more people we have with us, the better, you know?" Gorris advised.

"I agree. I came here alone and the journey here was hard enough," I nodded in agreement.

"You came here alone? Either you are either brave or really crazy," Andy said.

"I have my... reasons for being a lone adventurer," I said sullenly.

* * *

Gorris led us over to Lac Dinneshere, over towards a house that belongs to a man known as "Old Jed", where I saw two people, a man and a woman, watching a dozen men at the docks haul in large crates full of knucklehead trout. The air is pungent with the scent of freshly caught trout, especially from the dozens of knucklehead trout hanging on wooden racks next to Old Jed's house.

"Felicia!" Gorris called to the two people.

The woman turned around and she smiled at us. Judging by the lute strapped to her back, I assume that she is a bard. She has short, platinum blonde hair, her eyes are brighter than Andy's, she wore a bright blue cloak around her body armor made of thick leather.

"Gorris! Andy! Xalorn! There you are!" She exclaimed as we approached, then she noticed me as the man she was standing with turned around to see us.

"Who is this?" She asked Gorris, pointing at me.

"This is Jovan Goldmarsh. He is the new guy Hrothgar just recently added to his party," Andy said enthusiastically before Gorris could.

"Really? That means he has a total of... 51 adventurers in his party!" Felicia exclaimed.

"Wow!" The guy she is standing next to, a human named Jhonen said. "Hrothgar must be expecting some trouble."

"My hunch is, he is always expecting trouble. My parents known him for years," Felicia told Jhonen.

"Jovan, I'd like you to meet Jhonen He's a fisherman," Felicia explained.

"Well met," I said to him as I shook his hand.

"Likewise," Jhonen nodded at me courteously, then he turned his attention back to Felicia. "Anyway, Felicia," he sighed then rubbed his eyes. "I can't shake these dreams out of my head. I don't know what they mean, but every night, I hear that same damn song..."

"How does it go?" Felicia asked.

Jhonen scratched his recently cut brown hair. "Uh... Damn it, I can't remember..." he muttered.

"You say you're having dreams, Jhonen? Dreams fade upon waking. Mayhaps a day of fishing will help clear your mind," I suggested.

"Ah, well, the dreams have been fishing in me, as of late, friend. So much so I can barely catch a wink before they rouse me from it. A frustration it is at times, sometimes, it feels more real than the waking world.

"What kind of dreams are these?" Andy asked.

"Well, there's a woman..." Jhonen paused to see Gorris, Andy and I giving him a suspicious look. "Don't give me that eye, it's not like you think... she walks upon the surface of this lake as if it were flagstones instead of waves. She doesn't say anything, just sings- beautiful songs, but I can't understand a word."

Andy rubbed his chin in thought. "Hey," he said to get everyone's attention. "Before Gorris, Xalorn and I went to see Pomab, I seem to recall a woman standing near the shores of the lake behind Apsel's house over there," Andy pointed out southeast past Old Jed's home.

Apsel the Scrimshander is the man in Easthaven who makes the Scrimshaw sculptures out of the ivory bones of knucklehead trout that Easthaven is so famous for.

"Hey, I got an idea. Why don't we go talk to this woman and find out what she wants from you? Andy, Felicia, come with me, show me where you last saw her," I instructed.

"All right, Jovan, follow me," he said, and we left the others behind.

We passed by a few people before passing by the house he was pointing at. As soon as we got near Apsel's home, we saw Apsel himself nearby, a 46 year old human man with a recently trimmed beard wearing glasses with large lens, looking around frantically for someone or something, and apparently the few people who were near us showed no intention of asking Apsel what troubles him. As soon as Apsel saw us, however, he rushed over to us, likely because he recognized us as adventurers because of how equipped we are with weapons.

"Oh, thank the gods. Whoever you are, you picked the perfect time to wander by. I could really use some help," he said.

"My name is Jovan. Who might you be?" I asked him.

"The name's Apsel. But please... we have no time for pleasantries. I desperately need your help!"

"What troubles you?" Gorris asked.

"While I was gone, a winter wolf somehow snuck into my workshop and is tearing the place apart! It tried to attack me when I entered my home. I was so startled at the sight of the beast that I accidentally broke the key off in the lock while trying to get away. Now I can't get back in. Please, get rid of that beast for me."

"If you can't get back in, how can we?" Andy asked.

Apsel opened his mouth for a second, but he didn't immediately speak. Then he shook his head when he decided that he doesn't have an alternative solution.

"I don't care! Break the door down if you have to," he finally said.

"Stand back," Xalorn said as he marched forward past us, then headed for the front door of Apsel's house.

After posiitoning himself in fornt of the door as we watched, Xalorn braced himself, readying his right arm and shoulder to smash into the locked door, then he charged at the door smashing it open, causing Apsel to gasp in astonishment.

"It's good luck to have someone like him around," Gorris said to Apsel with a reassuring smile.

Then almost immediately, we heard the wolf inside the house barking and snarling, apparently attempting to attack Xalorn. We were still outside the house and didn't dare go in, because we knew that a strong half-orc like Xalorn can take on a single winter wolf on his own. We heard Xalorn yelling in rage, and following his yells, we heard the sound of his sword cutting into flesh. Then a split second later, Xalorn threw the corpse of the dead wolf out the open door, and it landed on the snow-covered ground wooden planks just 8 inches away from the doorstep and 4 inches away from falling into the water of the lake, then Xalorn stepped out, sheathing his bloodstained sword.

"That little beast didn't cause too much damage to your workshop," Xalorn informed Apsel as he brushed his hands together.

Apsel grinned widely. "Yes! Thank you! The wolf is no more! How can I repay you?"

Before either of us could reply, Apsel immediately said "Wait! I know what you need."

He dug into his pockets and pulled out a dagger with a keen edge, a dagger that he uses for carving the ivory bones he has in stock inside his home, and handed it to me. I was deeply confused.

"You're giving me your scrimshaw carving dagger? I can't-" I started to protest.

"No, no, I insist. Take it." He said.

Without further objections, I reluctantly took the keen edged dagger, then after saying out goodbyes to Apsel, we continued past his home for the lake's edge away from the village of Easthaven. Soon we saw the woman standing near the southwestern shores of Lac Dinneshere, looking out at the vast lake and humming a beautiful tune.

Her skin color is the same as the surface of the lake, she has light green hair, and delicate features akin to fey creatures like me. In fact, I could tell she is a fey creature like I am, especially the way her ears are shaped.

"Uh, excuse me..." I called to the woman, and as she turned around to face me, Andy and Felicia, I saw that her eyes are light green like her hair too. "Are you the woman that Jhonen keeps seeing in his dreams?" I asked her.

She smiled, but she didn't say a word. I repeated my question again, this time speaking in the elf language.

"_As one elf to another, I ask that you speak in the tongue of those who walk upon the land- what has brought you from your home in the lake, sister?_" I asked her in the elf language.

But she still did not reply, other than making a depressed facial expression.

"If you can understand me, please, let us hear your song," Felicia asked.

The woman nodded, and she began humming. And for some reason, as I listened, I found that somehow I understood the meaning behind her song, and why she is here. It is a feeling I am all too familiar with. I tried not to shed a tear, but when I did, Felicia and Andy didn't notice.

"You are the woman Jhonen sees in his dreams, are you?" Andy asked.

"_Jho-nyn?_" The woman said slowly in a very thick accent.

I could tell that she is struggling to speak Common, but is progressing very slowly since she apparently has never spoken to anyone before.

"Yes, Jhonen. You are the woman from his dreams?" I nodded.

"_Yes- yes! Have your eyes fallen upon him? Do you know where it is he walks?_" The woman asked almost haltingly as she spoke.

"Yes, we have. He told us he sees you in his dreams, but he doesn't know what you want from him. What do you want from him?" Felicia asked.

The strange woman licked her lips before speaking. "_I am of the calling Elisia-of-the-Sky's-Mirror. My heart is Jho-nyn's, but he cannot see me in the flesh, or else I will become as the currents upon the shore. A gift do I have for him, from one of his blood long ago, who also held my heart, but not as Jho-nyn holds it now._"

"Gift?" I frowned. "What kind of gift?"

The woman turned around and looked out at the vast lake before speaking. "_Many reflections of the moon have come and gone since the day in which the one of the blood of Jho-nyn fell beneath the waters of the lake. he fought the last of the great white serpents that swam upon the northern winds, the queen mother Icasaracht_ (pronounced "Ek-Kaas-Ar-Rakt"),_ who now lies without life on the bed of the lake. A promise was made, and I must honor it._" She said as she watched the ripples of the lake's shore move towards her feet then recede, then return.

"What promise?" I asked.

The woman turned to face me, Andy and Felicia again. "_The one from whom Jho-nyn comes, Aihonen, asked I see his blade returned to those of his blood if the queen serpent Icasaracht drank his life. She did, but not before he dealt her a mortal blow._" Elisia then stepped further out into the lake, then crouched down on her knees to the point where her waist touched the water, and as far as I could tell, it looked like she is trying to retrieve something. I'm surprised that she is wading out into the lake in this time of year, normally people would freeze.

She picked up a special looking, but broken long sword from under the shores and returned to us, holding it in her hands.

"From the depths of the lake, I have brought the fire-shaped steel that ended her life. It is intended that it be belonging of Jho-nyn now."

"So, let me get this straight," Andy began. "You wish to return the sword of Jhonen's ancestor back to him, but you can't do it yourself because the sight of you will make you stream away to water?"

Elisia nodded. "_It is one of the laws in the lands beneath the lake's mirror. Will you give this to Jho-nyn and tell him my heart? My songs are his, my heart is his._"

"Forgive me, Elisia-of-the-Sky's-Mirror, but there are many tales of gifts that are more than they appear. Sometimes they can be dangerous." Felicia said.

"_I wish no harm upon Jho-nyn,_" Elisia said firmly.

"Ah, I did not ask about your intentions, I am merely talking about your gift. You did not mention what it may do," Felicia corrected.

"Yeah. And your dreams are already hurting him. He can't sleep peacefully at night anymore," Andy said.

Elisia looked sad now. "_The dreams were the only way I could speak to him. the blade is for him. I only wish him to dwell in the waves beside me..._"

When I looked at her sad eyes, I could see how sincere she is. This is why I believe inter-species romance between a human and an elf or any other humanoid creature with a longer lifespan than a human, or can breathe in water or fly in air can never work out, because humans live for no more than a century or less, they can't fly, and they can't breathe underwater. So why do elves, and other humanoid creatures with longer lifespans or abilities humans don't have even try to establish a relationship with a human? I don't get it.

"But humans can't live beneath the waves, Elisia. For your kind, you are obviously headstrong to appear upon the shores where anyone may see you. That tells me you have a desperate heart. And a desperate heart does dangerous things," I said. Who am I kidding? I have done many dangerous things, even for love.

I could see my words hit Elisia like a dagger in her heart.

"_There is no truth I can offer in these broken words that will show you that I nor this gift mean Jho-nyn harm..._"

I crossed my arms. "You're right. Words may not suffice, but a song might reveal more than what words can't," I said.

Elisia nodded in agreement and began to hum the tune once again. And somehow, I "feel" the words more than I hear them, and somehow, after I closed my eyes, I saw images of how Lac Dinneshere looks underwater. the images moved even though I wasn't walking in my vision, I just stood there as if I were watching an event unfold. I saw the currents around me, I saw many knucklehead trout and other species of fish swimming around, the skeletons of humans that have likely drowned in this lake long ago, and through the underwater mist of the lakebed, I also saw the skeleton of a dragon and a human skeleton near it, which I assume must be Icasaracht's bones and the bones of Jhonen's ancestor. When the vision ended, I opened my eyes, understanding that Elisia is trustworthy and has nothing but deep love for Jhonen. I still don't understand why she is so naive to understand that because Jhonen is a human, he can't be with her beneath the waves, it can never be.

I reached out for the sword in her hands. "I will see to it that this blade is returned to Jhonen, Elisia. I think it will make a grand tale, indeed," I said.

She willingly gave it to me. "_Here, then, I entrust this to your keeping until your path crosses with that of Jho-nyn. Return to me when you have given it to him. I mist know if it has found its way back to its home._"

* * *

We returned back to where Jhonen, Gorris and Xalorn were waiting, near the only boathouse in Easthaven.

"Hey!" Andy shouted while waving, catching their attention.

"Oh, you're back," Jhonen said.

"Well?" Xalorn crossed his arms.

"Jhonen, I think we found the reason for the dreams you've been having," I declared, holding the broken sword behind my back so Jhonen wouldn't see it yet.

"Eh? You're not playing on a man's hopes, are you? I'd be grateful for just one night of peace," Jhonen rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"The woman in your dreams is a sea spirit, Jhonen. Her kind speak through song, which is why you couldn't understand her," I explained.

"A... a sea spirit? Eh... what does she want, then? Why the dreams?" Jhonen asked, somewhat skeptical, I could tell.

"Her name is Elisia. Speaking through dreams is one of the talents of her race. She speaks to you because she was a close friend of one of your ancestors and has carried a promise for him for many, many years," I said.

Jhonen raised his right eyebrow in confusion. "One of my ancestors? Why come to me, then?" He asked.

"Your features remind her of him, and your heart is strong, if not stronger. She has come to love you, but she cannot let you see her in the flesh. She wishes to give you something that belonged to your ancestor, if you would take it." at that moment I showed him the broken sword Elisia gave me to give to him.

He looked at the broken blade, his wide eyes clearly indicating that he is intrigued as he slowly took the broken sword into his hands.

"Aye, I will. Of course I will." He said almost reluctantly then shook his head. "Sorry, it's... well, it's a bit much to be laid upon a fisherman all at once. I... well, I'd be honored to accept anything she wishes me to have," he said gratefully.

"That blade is the blade your ancestor used against the last of the white dragon matriarchs named Icasaracht. The broken piece of the blade lay within Icasaracht's remains at the bottom of Lac Dinneshere for almost a century. Carry it well and know that Elisia loves you, your dreams shall trouble you no further now." I explained.

Jhonen held the blade high in the air, inspecting it with Gorris and Xalorn standing next to him, examining the interesting sword.

"By the Spine of the World... even shattered, this blade's a wonder. But... no more dreams, you said? I, well... I'll miss them, actually. Her songs... beautiful. Simply beautiful," he admitted without shame.

"I'll go tell her then. Farewell," I turned to leave.

"Jovan, meet us near the caravan roads when you get back, okay? We're going to find that missing caravan Pomab is expecting," Gorris called.

"Okay!" I called back as I raced past the boathouse then a few men carrying fish in baskets to their homes to feed their families. and then Apsel's home and the homes of a few other townspeople before leaving the village.

I found Elisia where I first met her and she had her back turned on me, no doubt in deep thought about Jhonen.

"Elisia, I'm back," I called.

She turned around to look at me. "_Have you found Jho-nyn?_" she asked.

"Yes, I returned the blade back to him." I nodded.

Elisia smiled. "You have my gratitude," she said then dug into the pockets of her wet clothing and pulled out a pearl resting in her right hand.

"Please take this shaped piece of sand which I have taken from the bed of the lake. I have heard that those who walk upon the land value such things," Elisia said, and after she gave me the pearl, she ran towards the lake and jumped in the water, literally disappearing- I saw no ripples on the ocean's surface.

Taking one look at the pearl in my right hand, I turned around and walked away, heading for the caravan road to meet up with my new allies to find out what could have possibly happened to the caravan that is supposed to be coming from Caer-Dineval.


	2. Chapter 2 The Expedition Begins

We left Easthaven heading west since going east takes us toward Lac Dinneshere, but we did not walk along the Eastway road which leads to Bryn Shander a few days west from Easthaven, instead we walked through the partially snow covered fields staying a mile away from the shore of Lac Dinneshere, hoping that we would come across the missing caravan. I hoped that we wouldn't have to travel far, we had already traveled five miles northwest from Easthaven, staying fairly close to the lake shore, but as far as Xalorn could tell, who is an expert tracker, he saw tracks of caravan wheels in the snow yet, and it isn't even snowing right now, fortunately, but it is still cold enough to force us all to wrap our cloaks around our bodies for warmth.

"Do you think the caravan could have wandered off course? I mean, the possibility is there..." Andy said to Xalorn, trudging alongside me and Gorris.

"Yes, the possibility is there, but first we should see if it did run off course," Xalorn replied, keeping his head lowered to the ground, searching for wheel tracks in the snow.

I looked around. To our left not very far from where we are is what seems to be a cavern of some kind, and to our right a mile away is the shore of Lac Dinneshere- I could see how vast the lake is even from where I stood.

"Hey, Jovan," I heard Felicia call my name.

I turned my head to the right to see her come up next to me.

"What brings you so far north? I don't see many elves in Icewind Dale, that's all," Felicia said.

I shrugged. "Adventure, I guess. New experiences. I spent most of my adventures around the Dalelands, the Silver Marches and the Western Heartlands. I suppose you could say that Icewind Dale is one of those "uncharted" lands I never visited before."

"Oh, I see. So this is your first time here?" Felicia asked with an amused smile.

I didn't smile back, but I nodded slowly.

"Well, since you're new here, let me give you fair warning. Watch your step here. If the harsh, cold weather of Icewind Dale doesn't kill you first, some tundra yetis or remorhazes will."

I don't know if she is being playful with me, or actually trying to scare me.

"Please, Felicia, don't spook him, all right?" Gorris said.

"Remorhaz? What's a remorhaz?" I asked curiously.

"They are gigantic worms that look more like centipedes except they are as blue as ice, and have a mouth full of teeth that are sharp as swords," Felicia said.

I shuddered a bit at the thought of encountering a remorhaz. Or maybe I shivered because of the cold? Anyway, Andy noticed me shivering and glared at Felicia walking alongside me to my right.

"Good job, Felicia. You just caused Jovan to wet his pants."

"Hey, I'm just-" Felicia started to say in defense, but Xalorn interrupted her.

"Quiet!" He snapped.

We stopped behind him and watched him kneel down towards the ground.

"What is it?" Gorris asked in anticipation.

Xalorn noticed on the ground that the caravan tracks we were looking for were moving towards his direction, and then suddenly veered away to the left, just inches away from Xalorn's feet. He looked over at the direction the tracks led to, and as he did, he noticed many footprints in the snow, footprints in all directions, like there was a scuffle here recently.

"There was a skirmish here," he said.

"A skirmish? As in someone attacked the caravan, and the guards of the caravan fought back?" Gorris asked warily.

"Yep," Xalorn replied with a single nod. "See that?" He pointed down at the ground while looking back at us. "Footprints all over the place. And the caravan tracks go straight to that cavern over there." Xalorn pointed over to the cavern that I noticed about 40 yards northwest from our position.

And so we headed for the cavern, fully expecting whoever has hijacked the caravan is still in that cave, possibly with hostages. when we got near the mouth of the cave, we saw the broken remains of the caravan to the right from the cavern's entrance, and we inspected it.

The wagons are broken, including the wheels, and there are some blood stains around the wagons on the snow, and the supplies that the caravans are supposed to be carrying are nowhere to be found.

"I don't like this..." I muttered, holding a piece of a wooden stake in my right hand and inspecting it.

"Neither do I. This caravan is not just late, they've been attacked," Gorris said gravely.

"I can't believe whoever attacked this caravan did it so close to Easthaven. We're not even a day away from the town!" Felicia said.

I dropped the wooden stake and drew my sword, standing near the cave entrance, preparing to enter it. Gorris readied his two war axes, Xalorn held his morning star in his right hand and medium shield in his left hand, Felicia held her lightweight crossbow ready, we were prepared to face anything inside the cave, and we cautiously entered the cave together.

The cavern became a little too dark for Gorris, Andy and Xalorn to see, but Felicia and I had low light vision since we are elves. Well, I'm purely elf, I don't mean to brag, I have nothing against half-elves. As we cautiously walked down the semi dark, cold tunnel with little light source except from outside the cavern, we faintly heard the sound of footsteps. At that moment I knew that we aren't the only ones in this cavern. It sounded like it is coming from a room around the corner at the end of the passageway to the left about 20 feet ahead of us.

When we got close to the end, I had Xalorn peek around the corner. And when he peeked to see what is down the other end, he found that there is a large open space filled with the supplies stolen from the caravans! Up above are a few icy stalactites, but that detail didn't draw Xalorn's attention. What he noticed is the dozens of orcs walking about, piling up the bodies of the lancers of the caravans, and the supplies from the caravan.

Xalorn retracted his head and turned to face us.

"Orcs. They killed the escorts and lancers of the caravan already," he whispered to us.

I had a feeling this happened when we saw the broken wagons outside. Orcs aren't known to take prisoners unless they are human women, I heard. What confused me is why did these orcs attack a caravan so close to Easthaven? We are only five miles away from town.

"What do we do?" Andy asked in a whisper.

We saw Xalorn reach for his morning star and shield, grinning.

"Oh..." Andy nodded slowly.

Xalorn emerged first into the room, shouting at the orcs in their language, most likely challenging them to a fight.

The nine orcs immediately took notice of him and charged at him! Gorris, Andy, Felicia and I emerged into the room after Xalorn and engaged the orcs. I came at the orc armed with a sword that is almost as thick as a meat cleaver northeast from me, between two bright brown crates. He charged at me in rage and I crouched when he got close enough to swing his sword at my head. I parried the next strike with my longsword and avoided the third aggressive strike by rolling over atop one of the crates, and he tried to impale his sword into me when I rolled off the crate, but he missed and ended up getting his blade stuck into the crate's thick wood. Taking this advantage, I ran my blade into his neck to finish him off for good.

Gorris came at two orcs who are also armed with his two war axes. He swung the war ax in his right hand at the orc to his left, the orc dodged the attack by crouching, but Gorris spun around on his left heel to intercept the dodging orc and struck him in the chest with the war ax in his left hand. the second orc came at Gorris with an enraged roar and attempted to cut his head in half. Gorris didn't bother trying to pull his left hand war axe out of the slain orc's chest, instead, he released it and fell back, avoiding the sharp blade, and threw his war axe at the orc, and the blade cut into the orc's face.

Andy supported us with his magic, casting the Sleep spell on the orcs. He only managed to put four to sleep, but two remained awake and able to fight. One fought Felicia, the other fought Xalorn, but since Gorris finished off his targets before I did, he rushed in to support Felicia while Andy and I took care of the sleeping orcs, to make sure they never wake up. Xalorn blocked the orc's sword with his shield several times, and when the opportunity presented itself, he bashed his shield against the orc's head, stunning him, then Xalorn caved in his skull with his morning star, cracking the orc's skull like a grape and leaving many spike holes on his forehead. We won the battle after Felicia and Gorris took down the last orc.

"I guess that's all of them," Andy announced.

We stayed silent looking around as if se suspect someone is watching us even though no one is doing so. I headed over to one of the supply crates about 7 feet away where I stood, and i noticed that there is a piece of paper on top of it. A contract of some kind. I unraveled it and read it aloud.

"_Balin,_

Deliver these five crates to the emporium in Easthaven. Make sure ot get a fair price from that unscrupulous weasel, Pomab. Use the profit to acquire three barrels of uncarved scrimshaw from Gaspar's warehouse there in Easthaven. Return to Caer-Dineval with the three barrels and you shall have your agreed upon payment. Keep your eyes to the tundra. There have been reports of orc activity in the hills outside of Easthaven. It might be wise to use your advance payment to hire on some extra caravan guards.

Safe journey,

Ilmus Gallaway of Caer-Dineval

"

Andy looked around at the five piles of stolen merchandise. "How are we going to carry all of this back to Easthaven?"

"We can't. We have to inform Hrothgar and Pomab about this," I suggested.

"Ah, good idea," Andy said in agreement. "I feel very happy that Hrothgar had the foresight to invite you to the expedition, Jovan," he said as he approached me and patted me on the back.

* * *

An hour later, we returned to Easthaven and informed Pomab what happened to the caravans he is expecting. Then we went to Hrothgar's home to tell him the news. We stood in front of the door and I knocked a few times. It only took four seconds for Hrothgar to open the door.

"Ah, good, you've returned," he said.

"We have some important news to inform you, Hrothgar," I said.

He invited us in, and we opened our cloaks, relieved to be surrounded by the warm air of Hrothgar's fireplace.

"You know that Pomab was expecting a late shipment of supplies from Caer-Dineval?" Gorris asked.

Hrothgar nodded. "Is that why you were taking so long in buying supplies from him?"

"Yes," Xalorn nodded.

"So, what news from the caravan from Caer-Dineval?" Hrothgar asked curiously.

"We found the caravan a few miles outside town. It looked as if it had been attacked some time ago by orcs. We tracked the orcs to a nearby cave and paid them back for their butchery. The caravan supplies are safe inside the cave," I informed Hrothgar.

This news caused him to frown in concern and rub his beard in thought.

"Hmm... strange. It's not usual for orcs to be so brazen as to attack caravans so close to town. I wonder if it's the anticipation of the coming blizzard that is driving their actions... or if it is something more." He shook the grim concerns aside now. "In any case, at least we can still retrieve the supplies, thanks to you five. All of you have proven yourselves to be quite capable adventurers, especially you, Jovan. I'm glad you decided to come with us to Kuldahar."

"Thank you. When do we leave?" I asked.

"We still have preparations to make before we depart for Kuldahar. I will assemble some of our expedition groups to the cavern where the supplies are, retrieve them and return to Pomab's Emporium. After we have all the necessary supplies, then we'll be prepared for expedition. Felicia, Xalorn, Gorris, Andy, I need you to lead us to the cave's location. I'll go to Winter's Cradle inn and search for the other members of our expedition to accompany us there. Jovan, I wouldn't want to push you too hard since you're not accustomed to the harsh cold of Icewind Dale, so rest awhile until we return."

"Yes, sir," I nodded.

After all has been said, we departed Hrothgar's home and temporarily went our separate ways. As I walked aimlessly through the town, I wondered what could possibly be going on at Kuldahar to get Hrothgar's attention, and cause a small band of orcs to attack a caravan so close to Easthaven. I then recalled that Hrothgar told me a man named Everard might know more. When I asked one of the townspeople where I could find a man named Everard, they told me that he is a warrior of Tempus and that he resides in the temple of Tempus a few yards east from the blacksmith's house.

The temple of Tempus wasn't hard to find, it is easily the tallest building in Easthaven. Walking through the front door, I found myself in a large room full of torches hanging on six pillars, three to my left, and three to my right. Ahead of me about 19 yards is Everard himself, silently praying in front of a large statue of Tempus, a man standing on two statues of horses, each foot planted on the back of the horses. Beneath the statues is a glyph-covered door, but I paid little attention to it and more on the statues, I found the sight very awe inspiring. I know little about Tempus, but from what I've heard, battle-hardened warriors revere his strength and bravery. I slowly approached Everard, partially not wanting to disturb his prayers, but I'm sure he heard my footsteps as I approached.

"Hello? Sorry if I am intruding. I'm a traveling adventurer who has been recently invited to Hrothgar's expedition to Kuldahar."

Everard slowly stood up, then turned to face me. He has steel gray eyes, no mustache and a small, patchy red beard and short red hair. He also seems to be in his mid 40's, but still looks strong and fairly youthful.

"Hmm. Hrothgar mentioned gathering strangers in town for an expedition. What is it you want?"

"I'm Jovan. Are you Everard?

"Yes, I am Everard... Everard of Tempus, Battle-Priest of the Lord of Battles. What brings you here?"

"Do you know anything about this expedition that Hrothgar is putting together?" I asked.

Everard nodded. "I have heard of it, yes. A messenger from Kuldahar visited the temple not long ago, and it has spurred Hrothgar to see what is happening there."

"A messenger?" I asked.

"Yes. A man from Kuldahar found his way to our door, and he was dead by morning. He claimed he was a messenger from the Archdruid of Kuldahar.

"Why did he come all this way here?" I asked, trying to drive into the source of this conflict.

"The man spoke of... disturbances in Kuldahar. His wounds prevented me from making any sense of his words- perhaps Hrothgar understood more than I, for he's preparing an expedition."

I suddenly got the feeling that Everard is withholding need to know information from me. Hrothgar sent me to Everard to learn more about the disturbances of Kuldahar, and now Everard is suggesting I go back to Hrothgar for answers. I don't like being led on a wild goose chase, and I hate being kept in the dark about something. Unless... Everard might be going on this expedition.

"Are you joining us on this expedition?" I asked.

"No, for my place is here. Were I invited, I would still not go- my injuries would only slow the expedition," Everard replied.

As far as I could tell, Everard seemed healthy.

"Your injuries...? Were you wounded in battle?" I asked.

"These eyes have seen battle, yes... and my skin bears the mark of swords and axes. That was long ago. Now my place is here."

Something still isn't making sense here.

"You're a Battle-Priest of Tempus, right? Isn't it your duty to face battles? why would you leave battle behind?" I asked.

"Because there are _many_ ways one may serve one's god. I am of the Order of the Broken Blade. My _duty_ is to watch this place."

"Order of the Broken Blade?" I asked for clarification, because never heard of them before.

"Yes. We are... were... warriors. Wounded in battle, our injuries keep us far from the front lines. Still, we are fit to guard holy sites to our lord."

"So this is a holy site, I assume?" I asked, looking up at the statue of Tempus standing on the statue horses looming above me and Everard.

"It is sacred to _Tempus_, yes. It marks the field where the barbarian Jerrod gave up his life ages ago. He lies encased in stone beneath this temple," he replied.

"Encased in stone? What happened?" I asked curiously.

"Jerrod was a shaman who lived long ago. He brought unity to the northern barbarian tribes and led them to victory over the mercenary army of a wizard known as Arakon... at the cost of his life," Everard explained.

"How did he die?" I asked.

"Once Arakon saw his army routed by Jerrod and the northern tribes, he sought to bring the denizens of the Nine Hells to his aid. He opened a portal to the Lower Planes."

I shook my head. Either this Arakon man was extremely desperate, or extremely stupid. And this is why elf wizards don't respect many human wizards, because they think and act irrationally.

"He actually brought demons to the battlefield? Demons side with no one but themselves, Arakon would have brought the death of not only the northern tribes, but also his army and himself," I said.

Everard shook his head slowly in denial. "I do not believe that. Jerrod did. It is said that Tempus himself appeared to Jerrod upon the battlefield, and Jerrod took that as a sign."

"A sign to do what?" I grew more curious.

"Jerrod believed Tempus was calling him to sacrifice himself for his people to ensure victory. And so he threw his body into the portal, his blood fusing it to stone. It lies entombed beneath this temple to this day," Everard said, and I couldn't help but notice the hint of disdain in the tone of his voice.

"You sound like you don't agree with Jerrod's choice," I pointed out.

As Everard replied to my statement, I saw his eyebrows slowly crease into a slightly annoyed frown, even his voice hinted how irritated he is becoming.

"Jerrod had no _*need*_ to sacrifice himself. Tempus's appearance was a test of faith, as proof that his people had already won the battle that day. Jerrod failed his god and died a coward's death."

I couldn't believe what Everard told me. As long as the portal remained open, demons would continue to pour out, overwhelming the northern Uthgardt tribes and what remained of Arakon's army! Jerrod did the right thing, sacrificing himself to close the portal!

"Are you sure his death was in vain?" I shot back at Everard. "Jerrod did seal the por-"

Everard interrupted me there. "One dies for Tempus with a BLADE in one's hand, not by martyring oneself within the embrace of infernal magics! Jerrod's DUTY was to stand with his comrades, not cast himself to death when the field was already theirs!"

"His sacrifice prevented more deaths, Everard!" I shouted back at him.

Everard frowned in confusion now. "Sacrifice? Let me say this of "sacrifice", elf. Then we shall speak of this no more. Sacrifice is a death that has meaning. When it is in vain, it is not a sacrifice. It is a _*waste*._ THAT is the lesson of Jerrod's Stone."

I never felt so enraged before in my life. Everard is hiding something about himself, and casting his anger on a man who did nothing to shame Tempus or his people. I know what sacrifice is, and I know the difference between a meaningful sacrifice and a meaningless sacrifice. I lost someone I cared about in a meaningless sacrifice, a sacrifice for glory as an adventurer. But I managed to swallow most of my anger and refrain from punching Everard in the nose.

"So Jerrod's Stone lies hidden under this temple, huh?" I asked, tactfully changing the subject.

Everard nodded. "Aye, a great stone disk that holds Jerrod's corpse for all eternity. And so I watch and guard it in Tempus's name."

"Interesting. I must take my leave now. Faerewell," I said, then turned to leave.

Everard nodded at me courteously befoe I completely turned my back on him. As I headed for the exit, A young woman with short black hair and blue eyes stepped inside and said hello to me as she walked past me.

"Hello. You must be a new face here. My name is Accalia. I'm an initiate here at the temple of Tempus. I help Everard maintain the temple armory and perform rituals," she said to me.

"Hello, Accalia. My name is Jovan and I'm just a wandering adventurer who has been invited into Hrothgar's expedition," I replied.

"Oh, I heard that he is gathering adventures for an expedition. Well, good luck to you, Jovan," she said then allowed me to leave.

"Thanks," I replied before walking out the door.

* * *

An hour later, Hrothgar, Gorris, Felicia, Xalorn, Andy and a few other people who are part of Hrothgar's expedition group returned to Easthaven with the supplies the orcs hijacked, six humans, four halflings, three half-orcs, and one elf. I saw a dwarf carrying a treasure chest with the group- he is the only dwarf in the group I've seen so far. He wears bright blue thick armor, a helmet with a face guard that you can lift up over your helmet and close down in front of your face. He has a large dark silver shield attached to his back with a symbol on it, two silver rings linked to each other like an infinity symbol, which means the dwarf likely worships Berronar Truesilver, the matriarch of the dwarf god pantheon and wife of the dwarven god Moradin. He also had a +1 battle axe sheathed between his back and shield. Taking interest in this dwarf, I walked alongside him.

"Need somethin' elf?" He asked tersely, if not politely.

"I... I just wanted to make sure that box isn't to heavy for you to carry," I said.

Bad choice of words. The dwarf snorted at me.

"I may be a stout n' small dwarf, but don't let me size fool ye, elf! We dwarves are much stronger than we look!" He said proudly.

"Sorry, I-I-I meant no offense, uh..." I stammered out an apology.

"The name's Ordmar Coppershield, lad. I be a dwarven defender of Berronar Truesilver."

I've never met a dwarven defender before, but I heard that certain dwarven soldiers who are extremely adept at defending themselves and their allies make very valuable allies for adventurers, which is likely why Hrothgar invited Ordmar to the expedition.

"I'm Jovan Goldmarsh, a ranger of Silvanus," I replied.

"Pleasure to meet ye, lad. I'd shake yer hand, but I got me hands full, see?" He lifted the heavy treasure box up a couple times.

We are now halfway to Pomab's Emporium.

"So did you come here alone? I did," I said.

"No, I did not come ere alone. I have a friend who stuck by me side ever since our journey from the Dalelands," Ordmar replied.

"Oh? And who is that?" I asked.

Just then, I heard someone mumbling near me to my right. I looked down that direction and saw a halfling woman in a dark brown fur cloak counting four coins in her hands. MY coins!

"Four gold pieces... Four gold pieces?" She looked up at me. "Sorry, good sir, you ain't going to get nowhere good with just four measly gold pieces."

Feeling enraged, I snatched my gold out of her hands. "Gimme that!" I exclaimed as I did so.

"Lysara!" Ordmar called to the halfling woman. "What did I tell ye about pickpocketing?"

"What? I was just curious!" Lysara replied, feigning innocence.

Ordmar and I glared at her.

She sighed in defeat. "Okay. I'm sorry, mister elf," she said solemnly.

""Mister elf"? I have a name! It is Jovan, and if you are part of Hrothgar's expedition, I would appreciate it if you don't go digging into my pockets, otherwise I'll have to set a trap in my pockets to keep you out," I warned her.

"Traps don't keep me away from interesting stuff forever, uh-uh, no sir!" Lysara said cheerfully, showing me her small bag of lock picks and trap disarming tools.

"Lysara, remember our agreement? No stealing unless it be necessary, ye hear me?" Ordmar scolded her.

Lysara sighed in defeat. "All right, Ordmar, you win." she placed her small bag of thieving tools back into her rucksack.

"You watch over her?" I asked.

"Yes. It be a long story, lad, so I ain't gonna bore ye, with a long sob story," he replied with a long sigh.

When we got to Pomab's Emporium finally, we placed the supplies in Pomab's stock, which pleased him greatly. I thought he would be more cordial with us now that we brought the supplies finally, but when Gorris gave him the list of supplies we need for the expedition, his response was:

"Very well, give it here. Now, be on your way."

I expected him to be a little more grateful, but I guess not.

Later, after we ate some soup and drank some ale at Winter's Cradle, Gorris, Felicia, Andy, Xalorn Ordmar, Lysara and I returned to Hrothgar's home to let him know that we are ready to go.

"There you are! All is set," Hrothgar told us as he invited us into his house.

"Also the others are assembling as we speak. We will be ready to depart in five minutes," Hrothgar said.

"Ha ha! I can't wait!" Andy grinned excitedly.

"You can't wait? I've been itching to go ever since I joined!" Lysara replied to him.

Five minutes later, all 61 of Hrothgar's adventurers including myself, Andy, Felicia, Gorris, Xalorn, Ordmar and Lysara grouped together at the exit of Easthaven, on the road that would take us to Bryn Shander many days west form here. Each one of us were assigned to carry our own rucksack containing food, water, rope and other tools in case we fall down a pit or anything like that. Some of us were tasked to carry slightly heavier loads of supplies, in small boxes and crates. Strong adventurers like Ordmar and Xalorn had that job. Every one of us were excited to go on this expedition- who knows what we might find?

As for me, I didn't speak to anyone. Although I have gotten acquainted with Andy, Xalorn, Gorris, Felicia, Ordmar and Lysara, I didn't dare to get to know anyone else. Why? Well... it's a long story. Let me just say that I see no point in getting to know everyone you meet when chances are they might not live long enough to get to know you, or you might not live long enough to get to know them more. I hope my time in the Realms comes to a close soon. I've seen too many friends come and go, either by the hands of a monster, or their short lifespan. I know there are some who desire to have a long lifespan like us elves, but it isn't something valuable to me.

"All right, everyone! Listen up!" Hrothgar called to all of us.

Everyone calmed down from chattering excitedly and gave Hrothgar their undivided attention.

"For those of you who are a new face in Icewind Dale, I should warn you to stay as close as possible to the group should a blizzard happen while we are out in the wilderness. There are many dangerous creatures here that you won't find south below the Spine of the World. Tundra yetis and all manner of other creatures wait to prey on unsuspecting adventurers in this cold, harsh wilderness. Just stick together, do a head count every five minutes, and we'll be fine. Before we go, we will first test the head count roll call. Starting with you, Jerrod," Hrothgar said, pointing at a 21 year old human in front of him. And starting with Jerrod, each of us shouted a number.

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

"Four!"

"Five!"

"Six!"

"Seven!"

Since I'm the last adventurer to be recruited, I shouted 61 after Felicia shouted 60.

"Excellent! Everyone is accounted for. Well now, let's get moving to Kuldahar before a snowstorm strikes," Hrothgar announced and he led the way out of Easthaven, and we followed, carrying our supplies with us.

* * *

We headed southwest along the lake connected to Lac Dinneshere called Redwaters, which is also a good place to catch Knucklehead trout. After passing by the Redwaters lake, we headed south towards the foothills of the Spine of the World mountains, where the village of Kuldahar is located. Along the way we passed through Good Mead and Dougan's Hole, two more towns that are part of the Ten Towns, but we never stopped to rest in an inn, only at taverns to get something to eat and drink then move on. On the 6th day of our expedition, Andy approached me, walking alongside me carrying his rucksack and eating a green apple and asked me:

"Why the long face, Jovan? I haven't seen you speak to anyone, not even me for days."

I was barely paying any attention to him at first.

"Huh? Oh, uh... I just got a lot on my mind," I replied.

"Really? Like what?" Andy asked curiously after swallowing a piece of his apple.

I shrugged without looking at him.

Andy blinked and I think he understood why I didn't feel like explaining my glum feelings.

"You too, huh?" He asked in a sullen tone.

Before I could ask what he meant by that, Xalorn came up beside me to my right, and he is carrying a medium sized crate full of rations.

"Is he bothering you, friend?" He asked me.

"No. Why?" I replied.

"Because if he is, I'll teach him a lesson for ya," Xalorn grinned, showing me his orc and human teeth.

I forced a smile. "I appreciate it, but no, I'm fine," I said.

"Suit yourself," Xalorn shrugged and fell back behind me.

Andy and I exchanged no more words after that. We just focused on keeping up with Hrothgar and everyone else who is far ahead of us. Later that night we made camp in an abandoned cavern... At least, we thought it was abandoned. We had to fight a family of winter wolves before we could rest. Fortunately no one was injured or killed, we outnumbered the winter wolves, but that didn't discourage them from attacking us, they apparently did not want to share their cavern with us.

The next day, it started snowing in the morning not long after we departed our first campsite. It wasn't a blizzard, fortunately, just gentle snowfall. We simply just kept our cloaks wrapped around our bodies and trudged through the snow, still carrying what supplies we were assigned to carry back in Easthaven... and stayed on the lookout for ice trolls, yetis, packs of winter wolves and worse things, like a remorhaz. On this day we were waylaid by a pack of winter wolves once, and that was it, we didn't encounter any other carnivorous winter creature today or tomorrow, but the day after tomorrow, we encountered a group of tundra yetis, that's all, and we survived, but the yetis did not. I'm just glad that we were lucky not to encounter a remorhaz. From what I've heard from Felicia and Gorris, they are just as dangerous to fight as dragons are.

A few days later, we reached the foothills of the Spine Of The World. The climb was tiresome, but Hrothgar urged us on even when our legs and feet burned with fatigue. When we got close to Kuldahar Pass, a trench in the foothills of the Spine of the World, we paused for a moment, surveying the landscape. The Kuldahar pass is a large trench, huge walls of stone covered with snow and ice on both sides. If archers were atop the walls, they could easily shoot arrows down at us- a perfect ambush spot, but Hrothgar urged us to continue on. We walked through the Kuldahar Pass, eager to get to Kuldahar as soon as possible and find out what the disturbance is.

Feet stomping through the snow as snowflakes pelted my face, I absentmindedly looked up at the tops of the cliffs of the pass for a moment, ignoring the chatter of the people around me. When I stared ahead, I noticed, as usual, Hrothgar and several other members of the expedition walking near or alongside him, and I noticed on the sides of the path, close to the ice walls, 30 large mounds of snow. Neither of us got near them- we stayed in the center of the path, moving forward. And at that moment, I heard Andy shout:

"Hey! Gimme back my coin!"

I turned around... actually five people turned around to see what got Andy so angry.

"Andy! What's going on?" Felicia called. We saw Andy grab Lysara's arm and hoisted her up a few feet from the ground.

"This sticky-fingered Halfling stole my coins!" Andy exclaimed.

"You're a terrible liar! I did nothing of the sort!" Lysara shot back.

"What's going on here?" a human woman who I never got acquainted with said.

Hrothgar and Ordmar approached us.

"Is there a problem here?" Hrothgar asked.

Ordmar looked at Lysara with a suspicious frown.

"I didn't do anything, I swear!" Lysara exclaimed.

"You mean you _tried_ to do something! You were trying to steal my lucky Amnian coin!" Andy growled, flashing his lucky coin in the eyes of everyone, even me.

"What would I want with a grubby old coin like that?!" Lysara snapped.

Before the argument could escalate, Ordmar stepped in.

"Enough! Lysara, if ye don't keep yer hands to yerself, I'll get me rope and tie 'em together! Ye understand me, lass!?" He shouted angrily.

Andy dropped Lysara finally, and she looked at Ordmar with shame in her eyes.

"Yes, sir," she said.

Hrothgar sighed in relief. "Now that's taken care of, I suggest we-"

"Hey!" Gorris shouted, pointing at one of the mounds of snow closest to us.

I saw what caught his attention. I saw the snow on the mound shifting. Moving. Then suddenly, a gorilla sized monster with ice blue fur holding a thick wooden club in its right hand burst out of the snow mound! A taer! Also its brethren sprang up from their own snow mounds around us! We walked into a trap!

"Ambush!" Hrothgar exclaimed, pulling his sword out for battle.

"Look out!" Someone exclaimed.

Everyone dropped their boxes of supplies and readied themselves for battle, indistinctly shouting as the battle started. All 30 of the taer attacked us aggressively and relentlessly! I pulled out my crossbow and took aim at the nearest taer, and quickly pulled the trigger. I was trying to aim for its head, but my crossbow bolt ended up hitting its chest. The taer roared in anger and swung its club at me! It knocked my crossbow out of my hand, making my fingers sting painfully, then the taer jabbed at my chest with its club, knocking me down into the snow. All the wind was knocked out of me, I could hardly move, and before the taer could finish me off, Xalorn and Andy came to my rescue! Andy fired a magic missile at the beast, and after being stunned by the hits, Xalorn leaped at the taer with a mighty yell and brought his morning star down on its head.

Andy helped me stand back up on my feet, and I looked around. Chaos all over the place! Everyone, including Hrothgar is working together to bring down the beasts, but it seemed as if our superior numbers aren't enough, or more taers are appearing. One taer grabbed a human man by the neck and slammed him down to the ground with great ferocity. I saw three halflings and a half-elf take down another taer with their teamwork, and I saw another taer whack a half-orc in the face with its wooden club, shattering the half-orc's skull. I haven't seen a massacre like this in a long time. I drew my sword and rushed forward towards Gorris and Ordmar fighting two taers, even though my chest still stung painfully. Ordmar blocked the club strikes with his shield, acting as a decoy while Gorris handled the offensive moves.

"There's too many! We need to fall back!" Someone shouted.

Hrothgar looked up at the top cliffs of the trench after cutting down a taer, and saw a dozen frost giants standing up there! At first, Hrothgar couldn't piece together why they are up there instead of down here fighting with the taer, but he got his answer when the frost giants began to hurl huge boulders at the ice walls on both sides!

"Oh no...!" Hrothgar gasped in horror. "Everyone! Retreat! Fall back! Fall back NOW!"

"Huh?!" Lysara looked up just in time to see the third boulder thrown by the ice giants hit the left side of the trench's ice wall! The impact made the ground tremor, and shards of ice fell down towards us!

"Look out!" Gorris shouted.

Everyone scrambled away from the path of the falling boulders and ice shards as fast as we could, but some of us weren't so lucky. A few of us, including a few of the taer were cut to death by the sharp pieces of ice, or crushed by the large boulders. Ordmar was in the middle of the falling barrage, but he used his shield to cover his head and body to protect himself from the shards of ice as he ran away with us. he was one of the lucky expedition members He tried not to look at his fellow expedition members as sharp shards cut into the heads of those who don't wear helmets or body armor made of iron or steel. The frost giants continued to throw large stones at the Kuldarhar Pass's snow and ice covered walls, damaging the structure.

Soon we heard rumbling. We looked behind us to see an avalanche of snow on the stone wall fall down and coming at us!

Felicia cursed.

"RUN!" Hrothgar shouted.

We ran as fast as we could from the avalanche, which is apparently a little faster than us! It managed to swallow up our surviving expedition members, including Hrothgar!

"Don't look back! Go!" Andy shouted.

"Ah!" Gorris yelped.

First the avalanche managed to swallow Ordmar, since he was further behind us, then Lysara, then Andy, then Felicia, then Xalorn, then Gorris! I am the last member of the expedition running ahead of the avalanche now, but I could hear the rumbling getting closer! My legs were aching like crazy, I was tired, I felt somewhat willing to let the avalanche take me and embrace my inevitable death, but I didn't need to slow down. Soon, I felt finger numbing coldness envelop me, and everything went dark...

* * *

I'm dead now. I'm sure I am dead. Is this what death feels like? Being enveloped in nothing but darkness, with no source of light, being unable to feel awake in any kind of way? And the cold... the body numbing cold... Wait. Cold? Am I still alive? I woke up, not knowing where I am at first, then it all came back to me. I got swallowed up by an avalanche. Everyone did. Noticing that the supply of air in my little space under the snow is running out quickly, I started digging my way up to the surface. At least, I hope I am digging in the right direction. I noticed that I wasn't wearing any gloves anymore, they somehow fell out of my hands during the avalanche, so digging through the snow made my fingers very numb, but I didn't give up. A minute later, I broke out and reached the surface!

I gasped for fresh, cold air for a few seconds, then crawled my way out of the hole I made. When I stood up on my legs, I looked around. The way back to the Ten Towns is completely blocked off, the only way out of Kuldahar Pass now is by heading straight to the town of Kuldahar itself. I started to wonder, am I the only survivor of Hrothgar's party?

"Gorris! Felicia! Andy!" I shouted, my voice echoing in the cold afternoon sky.

I received no reply at first, but then I heard the sound of snow shifting nearby. I turned around and saw a hand emerge out of the snow about 8 feet away! I rushed forward towards the hand, grabbed it with my cold and numb right hand, and pulled my fellow survivor out, revealing the survivor to be Gorris! When his head emerged, he immediately coughed up snow and gasped for fresh air.

"Thanks," he wheezed at me with a smile.

Seconds later, I saw several more hand pop up form the snow nearby! Gorris and I rushed over to help them out. I felt relieved to see that Andy, Felicia and Xalorn survived too.

"Ah! Ahhh!" Andy wailed, shivering, crossing his arms.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"I'd feel much b-better sitting in front of a fire!" He replied.

"Hey look!" Felicia pointed west from our direction. We saw Lysara and Ordmar climb out of the snow, gasping for air, tired, but alive, just like us.

"That... was not fun!" Lysara exclaimed, dusting snow off her body armor.

"Ordmar! Lysara! You survived too?" I called.

"Yep, lad, we did. Ach, I can barely feel me arms and legs!" Ordmar complained, shaking his arms and legs one at a time, causing the metal of his armor to rattle.

Andy looked around in bewilderment. "Hrothgar! Where's Hrothgar and the others?!" He exclaimed with worry.

"Andy... I don't think they survived..." Gorris said solemnly.

"No! This can't be! Without Hrothgar, we have no leader! What should we do when we get to Kuldahar?! Who should we meet?!" Andy asked, holding his head with both hands as if he has a headache.

"And who will heal our injuries when we get hurt? The nine clerics in our expedition group are dead now!" Lysara exclaimed.

"Andy, Lysara! Calm down! We got each other, that's what matters. Whoever is behind the disturbances at Kuldahar clearly knew we were coming. We are all that's left of Hrothgar's expedition, and so, to honor a good man like Hrothgar, I suggest we try to finish what we started," I said.

"That's the least we can do for him," Felicia agreed.

"Jovan is right," Xalorn cut in. "Our enemies don't know that we are still alive yet, so we should use this as an element of surprise. Let's get to Kuldahar and surprise the bastard who is behind this!" he said.

"I like yer attitude, half-orc!" Ordmar said.

"Then it's settled. Let's salvage what supplies we can here and get going to Kuldahar," I said.

We picked up what supplies we could find and carry, then we left the avalanche site of Kuldahar Pass, moving further down the trench towards the town of Kuldahar. We lost many people a while ago, but we will not falter in the face of our unknown enemy. Together, my new companions and I will find out who is behind this and put an end to him one way or another.


	3. Chapter 3 The Vale of Shadows

It's just me, Gorris, Felicia, Xalorn, Andy, Ordmar and Lysara now. We survived the ambush and avalanche caused by the frost giants back in Kuldahar Pass, and as the result, we are the only survivors, and our only way back to the Ten Towns of Icewind Dale is blocked off by a 30 feet wall of snow. Even if we could go back, it would take days for us to return to Easthaven, and we have no supplies to last us long enough to return there, all the food, water and weapons the expedition brought with them are buried deep in the snow, along with their frozen, lifeless corpses. We are tired, cold, hungry, and we lost most of our supplies in the avalanche, and as we reached the end of the trench, I looked up at the sky and noticed for the first time that the clouds have darkened to a dark shade of gray, and the winds are beginning to pick up.

"I h-h-hope we get to Kuldahar or at least find some s-s-s-s-settlement soon," Andy said, his teeth chattering and wrapping his arms around his chest, hoping to maintain what little warmth there is left in his body.

"We need to," Gorris glanced up at the sky as he moved with us. "I have a bad feeling about this upcoming snowstorm..."

I peered ahead, squinting my eyes against the cold wind blowing in my face, causing my eyes to sting and leak tears. About 50 yards ahead of us, I believed that I saw a two story tall brick house, and a decrepit watermill next to it. Far as I could tell from this distance and angle, I saw the watermill's undershot wheel, and it is not rotating at all, apparently because the water trenches around the area the house is in is completely dry and filled with snow, and there is a watchtower tall enough to overlook Kuldahar Pass near the house and mill, too. I'm not surprised about that, winters in the Spine Of The World mountain ranges last a little longer than around Luskan or further down south, except around Neverwinter.

"I think I see a house that way," I informed my companions, pointing in the direction where I saw the house and its watermill. "We should take shelter there and warm up before we continue onward to Kuldahar."

And so we moved on towards the brick house. Several steps ahead later, we crossed a small bridge that took us over a brook that would have been filled with water if the snow melted. We passed by a broken livestock enclosure made of dry stone. Judging by the open spaces of the circular enclosure, someone tall and strong must have hit the wall of dry stones with a morningstar or club to get at the livestock inside. But who would do such a thing?

"No livestock in t-t-the enclosure..." Andy said, saying his thoughts aloud for no particular reason.

Xalorn signaled to us to stop walking, and we stopped, and watched him approach the enclosure. He stepped closer to one of the undamaged sections of the dry stone wall, and peered into the enclosure while placing his hands on the surface of the stone wall.

"What do you see, big guy?" Gorris asked, coming up next to him curiously.

Xalorn snorted and frowned.

"Something I expected to see," he said.

I didn't know what he saw, but the truth is, he saw something interesting. He saw footprints in the snow. Not just the footprints of cattle, but also other footprints. Humanoid footprints among the footprints of cattle.

"Someone, a group of ten or eleven, I believe, broke into the cattle pen and stole the cattle. And judging by the footprint sizes, I'd say about a few goblins did this, more or less, and an ogre or two, and some orcs," Xalorn declared.

I could scarcely believe my ears, and neither could Ordmar, Felicia and Gorris.

"Goblins, ogres and orcs attacked a farm?" Lysara wondered aloud.

"It wouldn't be the strangest thing they've done as of late," I said to her.

"Shh! Quiet!" Xalorn snapped.

Then I saw him turn his head slowly to the left, towards the nearest damaged area of the wall the ogres made to get in or out of the enclosure, and unknown to my knowledge, he saw prints in the snow near the opening signifying that the goblins killed the cattle, even though we saw no blood on the snow inside the enclosure, and dragged their bodies out of the enclosure.

"They dragged the cattle out," Xalorn announced.

"Where to?" Andy asked.

"That's exactly what we're going to find out," Xalorn said as he took the lead, following the footprints of the goblins, orcs and ogres and the dragging body prints of cattle being dragged across the snow towards the house.

As we drew nearer to the house, we crossed another small bridge over another brook, this one closer to the watermill, and I could clearly see that the mill hasn't been running since the beginning of the winter season, and it is now Mirtul, a month of the summer season, and it is still snowing, which would likely cause the farmers here many problems. As we crossed the bridge, we saw something that shocked us. About 7 feet in front of the house, we saw the bodies of the cattle strewn on the ground. Some were dead because of the harshly cold weather or because their heads caved in from being whacked by the club of an orc, and some have their flesh picked clean from their bones, likely by the goblins, orcs and ogres. But that is not the only thing that shocked us. Among the corpses of the cattle, there are also the corpses of goblins, orcs and ogres! Judging by the slash marks on their necks and their caved in skulls, they must have either killed each other or killed themselves.

"What manner of madness is this...?" Andy asked, looking visibly disturbed.

"I think it's safe to say that the owners of this house have also been slain," Gorris said warily, looking down at the 15 corpses of cattle.

Ordmar cast his gaze on the house.

"Aye, it seems like it. 'Tis house looks good enough fer us to settle down. If there be no surviving goblins left in there, that is," he said.

"Let's just get inside the house before we freeze to death," Andy said.

At that moment I realized that he spoke too soon. We heard the front door swing open, and when we stared ahead, we saw a goblin stumble outside holding his head as if he has a serious headache. He wore silver plate mail armor over his body and a helmet, possibly signifying that he is the leader of the goblin army that settled here.

He walked down the stairs and then lost his balance on the fourth step and fell face first into the snow. Then he bolted back up on his feet and started screaming in the goblin language: "_MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!_"

At least, that's what I think he said. I'm not too fluent in their native language, unfortunately.

My group and I cautiously approached the suffering goblin as he rolled back and forth in the snow, screaming continuously.

"Hello? Are you in pain? What is wrong?" I asked the goblin, hoping that he understands the human trade language known as Common.

The goblin ceased rolling and looked up at us, his face covered in pieces of snow.

"Who are you? Who am I? What am I doing here? Rrrghh..." He replied to me in Common, then grimaced, holding his head as he sat in the snow the same way he would sit in a chair.

"I'm relieved that you can speak Common, and so fluently," I said.

The goblin looked up at me and frowned. "Of course. Not all goblins are idiots. Just most of us." He paused there, then snapped his head back as a fresh jolt of pain hit his brain, causing him to scream in pain so loudly, his scream echoed in the air. "_What is the buzzing in my head?!_" He exclaimed, removing his helmet and rubbing snow into his head frantically.

"What's wrong with you?" Gorris asked him.

It took a while for the goblin to calm down and reply.

"I... I don't know. Something is in my head."

"In your head?" Felicia repeated.

The goblin nodded. "It whispers things to me."

"What is it telling you?" Andy asked.

"I don't know. My mind does not understand it. But something else in me does, somehow."

"When did this happen?" Ordmar asked, driving into the heart of the matter.

The goblin shook his head. "It all started a tenday ago. My goblin army and orc and ogre allies settled here because the faint whispers in our heads told us to. We didn't know why, we just did as we were told. We weren't told why we had to wait here, and so we waited and waited until we grew hungry. Eventually the whispers whispered to us more and more, and everyone went mad, killing each other. I am the last one alive because I hid myself in the basement of the house."

I blinked in surprise; I couldn't believe my assumptions about the goblins and their allies killing each other are true.

"The whispers in their heads really did drive them mad. I can't believe it..." Xalorn whispered in surprise.

Before I could ask the goblin another question, he clutched his head again and continued rolling in the snow.

"I can't take it anymore! It won't stop!" He wailed. "It whispers to me even when I try to sleep! I haven't gotten any sleep at all!"

Then to my surprise he pulled out a dagger.

"No!" I started to come at him and grab the dagger out of his hand, but I wasn't close enough to do that, and I was too late.

The goblin shoved the blade into his skull and he collapsed face down into the snow.

Normally I don't show pity to goblins, but I pitied this one because I could only imagine the torment he'd been through the past few days, hearing foreign whispers from some malevolent force and being unable to sleep because of it. Whatever that evil force is, it probably directed the goblins, orcs and ogres in this area to settle at this house and wait for any survivors from Hrothgar's expedition, but things didn't go as planned for the being trying to direct them.

I felt Felicia's hand touch my left shoulder.

"Come on. Let's get inside and warm up," she said.

And so we entered the house. Fortunately the door isn't locked, the goblins have picked the lock days ago and never locked the door again since then. The inside of the house felt rather warm, and there is firewood inside too. There are only two beds, so some of us will have no choice but to sleep on the chairs. There's a fireplace too, and Xalorn and Ordmar went down to the basement and discovered that there are not only barrels and crates containing wheat and corn, but there is also enough firewood to last us for 3 days. The bad news, however, is there is very few drinks in the house, only 2 bottles of ginger ale are left, which means my companions and I will have to share it. And so Xalorn and Gorris placed the firewood into the fireplace, Andy used cast a fireball at the firewood to set them on fire, and the smoke from the burning firewood rose up the chimney. I must say that Andy felt relieved to be sitting in front of a warm fire. Honestly, I don't blame him. As we explored the house, we learned that the farmhouse belonged to someone by the name of "Ghoson" or something like that, and the mill was run by his daughter and son, Joaquin and Jermsy. Where they have gone, what happened to them, I don't know, and it is unlikely they are coming back.

* * *

On the first night of our stay at the abandoned farmhouse, a snowstorm brewed suddenly, forcing us to stay indoors at all costs. There are no windows, so we had to rely on candles for light. Felicia slept in one bed, Andy slept in the other, Lysara slept on the floor using my cloak to keep herself warm, Gorris and Xalorn slept with ther backs propped up against the wall, and Ordmar slept in a rocking chair. As for me, I couldn't sleep. I sat on another chair, gazing into the flame of the candle at the center of the table, thinking of my past adventures. I've traveled with many other people before Gorris, Felicia and the others, but after each adventure, I went my separate way. I sighed then moved my right hand down to the side of my belt, and I felt my finger touch something with a sharp end. Confused, I inspected the object, and I realized that of all the weapons I lost back at the avalanche in Kuldahar Pass, I somehow managed to keep Apsel's dagger in my possession. The tip of the dagger's blade looked as keen as I remembered it as I held it in front of the candle's light.

Just then, I thought I heard someone call my name. I turned my head left and right, and after a few seconds of silence, I continued inspecting Apsel's dagger.

"... Jovan."

I heard my name a little clearer now, and I thought I recognized the voice. I looked over to the bed where Felicia is sleeping, and saw her sitting up, looking straight at me.

"Are you cold?" She asked.

I shook my head. "I'm fine," I said, but I lied. With Lysara wearing my cloak so she can sleep well without being cold, I'm feeling a little too cold to fall asleep peacefully.

"You can sleep with me if you want," she offered.

I was not expecting this.

"No, no thank you," I politely refused.

"Jovan, you are cold, wearing nothing but your tunic and armor. Don't pretend that you can handle the chilly air here," Felicia said in a scolding tone as if she were my mother.

I shook my head, smirking, then I stood up and quietly made my way over to the bed, being careful not to wake Lysara, Ordmar, Gorris, Xalorn or Andy. I pulled off my boots, then climbed into the bed sitting beside Felicia, and throwing the bed sheets over my body. I had to admit, I felt very comfortable laying in a bed for a change, but what made me feel uncomfortable is that I'm in the bed with Felicia.

"What's wrong?" Felicia asked.

I fidgeted for a second. "Nothing," I replied, afraid of making eye contact with Felicia. "I just... just..."

"You feel uncomfortable sharing a bed with a woman? Don't worry, I understand. I'm only trying to help keep you warm," Felicia assured me.

Little did we know, Andy was only half asleep, he rolled his head to face us, and watched us whisper to each other with his left eye partially open giving the illusion that he is still asleep.

"I know you are, it's just that... I haven't shared a bed with a woman since..."

"You're married?" Felicia asked.

I couldn't look into here eyes after she said that.

"I was married... She died many years ago..." I admitted.

"What happened to her?" Felicia became curious and sympathetic now.

"I'd rather not talk about it," I refused.

Felicia only nodded. "I understand. Memories of losing a loved one are painful."

"What about you? Are you married?" I asked.

Felicia smiled at me and shook her head. "No."

I frowned. "Really? Why not?" I asked.

"Because I grew up around people who hate half-breeds. My father is human, born and raised here in Icewind Dale, and my mother is a moon elf, born and raised from the High Forest. The sad thing is, there are some men in Faerun, both human and elf who judge beauty by your blood," Felicia said.

"You don't seem bothered by that fact," I noted.

"Why should I be? It cannot be helped that some men don't like the fact that I am part human and part elf. Let me tell you something, Jovan. There are more than just truths and lies. There are also half-truths too. I've accepted the hard truth that there are some men who don't like half-elves, but I refuse to drown myself in depression because of that partial fact. I know there are men out there who like women whether they are pure blooded human or elf or not, I just haven't found one of them yet," Felicia said, her voice almost rising above a whisper.

"(_Look no further than me, Felicia, I am one of them...)_" Andy muttered under his breath.

I had to admit that I admired Felicia's positive outlook in life. "Who taught you how to have that kind of outlook?" I asked her.

"From my parents. They knew that I won't always be accepted into human and elf societies with open arms, so they always reminded me that not everyone in the Faerun will treat me like dirt. That is what keeps me going. People will either love you or hate you, and the possibilities of you being hated should not prevent you from trying to be accepted somewhere. That, I feel, is an issue all half breeds like myself should strive to know and understand. We have a place in this world, we just have to find it."

She's right. I have no problems admitting this, but she is right. There are xenophobic humans and elves in the Realms, but there are some that will show respect to a half breed as much as they show respect to a pure blood.

"You've given me something interesting to think about, Felicia. Something more interesting than thinking about remorhazes," I said, trying to make a joke.

That caused her to giggle, smiling at me showing her bright teeth.

"Good night," I said, then rested my head on the pillow.

Felicia nodded and said "Good night", then rested her head on her own pillow.

Before actually falling asleep, Andy grumbled to himself: "Why does _he _get to share the bed with her?"

The next morning, the snowstorm still kept us contained inside the mill! So we stayed at the mill for another day, eating what little food we had left carefully, and drinking the remaining ginger ale sparingly, making sure each of us got our fair share to drink. The next morning, the snowstorm still continued, forcing us to spend another night at the mill! On the third day, the snowstorm subsided, allowing us to finally leave the mill and head southeast towards Kuldahar.

We fought our way through the goblin infested valley until we reached Kuldahar in the evening. I have to be honest, Kuldahar is nothing like how I imagined. It is a village where the houses and cottages are nestled against or within the roots of a oak tree that is 58 feet tall and 46 feet long in width. I am deeply impressed. This village would be proof to Druids all over Faerun that human civilization and nature can indeed coexist. What amazed not just me, but my entire group is that as we neared the village, the cold air we felt as we passed through the valley disappeared, replaced by warm breeze that is a welcome sensation to our partially numb bodies, in addition to the sweet scent of cooking fires.

"I don't believe it. This town is somehow shielded from the harsh winter air!" Andy exclaimed in awe.

"How is this possible?" Ordmar asked in sheer disbelief.

"I think it has something to do with that massive oak tree, I don't know. Maybe it is giving off enough heat to warm the town," I guessed.

For the next the minutes we walked in silenced awe towards Kuldahar, and when we were close enough to see the village 40 yards ahead of us, a human boy who appears to be 7 years old came running towards us. He wore a red shirt, brown pants and his hair is blond with streaks of black on some places.

"Yes! I know you'd make it through. I just knew it!" He exclaimed happily as he ran towards us.

"Who are you?" I asked the boy.

"I'm Nate. Arundel said that help is on its way, so I've been out here every day, keeping a lookout for you," the boy explained, then he took a long look at me and my group, and his happy grin turned into a confused stare. "Where is the rest of your army? Are you just the scouts or something?" He asked.

I didn't want to break the truth to Nate, but he really needs to know what has happened.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but we are alone," Gorris said, sparing me the trouble of telling him myself.

Nate now looked disheartened. "Alone? I thought for sure that the Ten Towns would send an army to help us. Wait 'til Arundel finds out it's just you."

"At first there would be 60 of us coming here, but at Kuldahar Pass, we were ambushed by frost giants. We are the only ones who survived," Lysara told Nate.

"Frost giants? Really?" He asked.

"Yeah. It was almost as if they were expecting us and laid a trap for us," Xalorn said.

"Hold on. Who is Arundel? Is he the mayor of this village or something?" Andy asked.

"Arundel's my friend. He's the oldest and smartest man in the whole world. He can talk to animals too, you know. You should probably go see him... he'll be wanting to talk to you too," Nate explained with reverence in the tone of his voice and smile when he talked about how old and smart Arundel is.

"Very well. Where can we find this Arundel?" I asked.

Nate pointed over at the house on the other side of the brook near us.

"He lives across this bridge, on the other side of the brook. That house over there with the three big rocks out front."

I looked over at the house he is pointing at, and I saw that Arundel's house looks as if it has been built into a massive boulder, from the looks of it.

"Thanks, Nate. Goodbye," I thanked the boy, and he nodded and headed back to wherever his home is.

* * *

We crossed the bridge and headed straight for the front door of Arundel's home. i knocked on the door three times and waited for a reply, but none came.

"Hello? Arundel? Do you know Hrothgar?" I called.

Just then, I heard footsteps approaching. Then the door opened, revealing an old human man wearing loose brown clothing. His beard is white colored and long, stretching down to his chest.

"Welcome. I've been expecting you for some time now," Arundel said as he turned his back on us and walked further into his house, allowing us to come in.

Since Andy is the last person to enter Arundel's home, he shut the door. Arundel's home is smaller than I expected. Near us, there are stairs that spiral up to his bedroom, most likely. In the room we are in, there are shelves around us full of potions and books, and in the center of the room is a large sphere of some kind that seems to be made of wood.

"So you must be Arundel, I presume," I said though I knew that I should know the obvious.

Arundel stopped near the wooden sphere and turned around to face us.

"Yes, I am Arundel, known to some as the Archdruid of Kuldahar. Though I invite you to dispense with the formalities and just call me Arundel, plain and simple. Titles tend only to serve one's vanity and aren't really much use in this small mountain community."

"Very well. Tell me, Arundel, do you know anything about the reports of disturbances in these mountains?" I asked him.

"Yes," he nodded. "It was I who sent Hallaster to Easthaven for help. His death weighs heavily on my conscience, for not only was he a student of mine, but he was also a friend and trusted companion. He will be missed. As will Hrothgar and the other members of your expedition."

"You know about the avalanche?" Ordmar asked in surprise.

Neither one of us understood how Arundel could have heard about the avalanche.

"Oh, yes, I know. I also know that it was no accident. Someone or... *something* did not want Hrothgar's expedition to reach Kuldahar alive," Arundel replied.

"What is happening here?" Felicia asked while Ordmar stopped Lysara from trying to take a potion off from one of the bookshelves and scolded her for trying something so mischievous as an invited guest.

Arundel sighed, shaking his head. "There are malevolent forces at work in these mountains, forces that seek to undermine the delicate balance we druids have struggled to preserve for centuries," he said almost ominously.

"Malevolent forces? Could you please be more specific than that?" Gorris asked.

Arundel groaned in disappointment and said: "Would that I could. The face of evil remains hidden, but its presence is unmistakable. All about us, there are signs of its damaging influence on the balance... the unnatural weather, the recent rash of abductions, the numerous monster sightings in the pass... These all point toward something sinister. Even the animals sense something amiss."

"Can you tell us more about these disturbances?" I asked.

Arundel shook his head and sighed, a sign that he doesn't know anything useful to our investigation. "I can only tell you what I know," he admitted.

"Tell us about this unnatural weather," Andy said.

Arundel sat down on a wooden chair before speaking.

"The weather in these mountains has always been harsh, but never like this. Fierce storms ravage the valley without warning, often lasting for several days before vanishing as quickly as they come. It is barely midway to Leafall, and yet the pass to the south has been snowed in entirely. Weather such as this is most unnatural. Nature presents itself in cycles that are predictable by those who know what to look for."

He has a point. The winter weather here should not be so intense, not when we are four months away from the month of Marpenoth, also known as Leafall, which is a month in the autumn season.

"What about the abductions ye mentioned?" Ordmar asked.

"Ah yes. Terrible. Terrible. At first there were tales told by travelers of companions disappearing into the night, snatched up from their bedrolls as they camped along the narrow trail that winds through the pass. We did not think much of these tales, for such occurrences are not unheard of in these mountains. Then one night, Conlan's boy, Sheemish, went missing. The next morning, the whole town searched for the boy but turned up nothing. He was just gone. Vanished without a trace," Arundel said regretfully.

"That is strange indeed," I nodded.

"The boy was just the first. Several nights later, another disappeared- Megan Potts, the local midwife. Her husband Kaleel was grief-stricken to the point of madness. With barely a word to anyone, he snatched up his sword and marched off into the darkness after his wife. No one has heard from him since. And now, the abductions are occurring *more* frequently. Eidan, the old innkeeper from the Evening Shade was taken only three days ago," Arundel continued.

Felicia's eyes widened. "That means that abduction happened while we were stranded in the mill because of the storm," she told me.

I nodded in agreement, then asked Arundel: "Tell us what you know about the monster sightings."

"As I am sure you have noticed by now, there seems to be quite a few goblins about. It is not usual to see so many of their kind roaming the mountains so late in the year. It is almost as if something has drawn them out of their holes, like carrion birds drawn to the scent of death," Arundel said while stroking his beard gently. "As if the goblins weren't enough, several frost giants have been spotted moving through the pass in groups as large as ten. That many giants traveling together in such numbers indicate they are organized and are acting with a singular purpose."

"What led you to that conclusion?" Andy asked.

"I have watched their activities closely. Their tracks trace a deliberate pattern through the mountains, almost as if they were on patrol."

When I thought he was done speaking, I opened my mouth to ask him something, but he spoke before I could. "Another thing... while I was out scouting the giants, i discovered other sets of tracks, tracks I have never encountered before. What manner of beast made them... I could not say."

"Before, you spoke of balance. what sort of balance are you talking about?" Andy asked.

"*The* balance. It is what the druids of Kuldahar hold sacred and have worked to preserve for generations. It is all around us. It *is* us," Arundel replied.

Andy scratched his black hair in confusion. "You lost me," he said.

"Balance is the harmony that is achieved when man and nature learn to coexist, no longer contending with one another, but coming together as two parts of a whole," Arundel clarified.

Just when I thought Andy wouldn't understand, he began to nod. "I understand now. Such balance is an ideal worth striving for indeed," he said.

"I'm glad you of all people understand that, Andy," I told him.

"Balance is the belief that this town is built upon... the very reason for its existence. Druids of Silvanus, the Oak Father, have tended to this shrine since the beginning. For hundreds of years, we have striven to achieve the ideal balance between man and nature. When settlers finally came to this pass, it was the Archdruid Tolben, my predecessor, who laid the foundation for the relationship that led to the birth of this community."

"Who was this Tolben?" Lysara asked.

Arundel smiled then replied: "Tolben was the catalyst for the transformation of the shrine from a sacred grove to a thriving community in which man and nature exist as one. At first, settlers were kept away form this site. The druids of old saw outsiders as an affront to the sanctity of the tree and its sphere of benign influence."

After he said that, I was suddenly reminded of the story my parents used to tell me of how the elves of Myth Drannor used to act towards humans back when the city was known as Cormanthor. The xenophobic elves of that time acted the same way as the druids of old Kuldahar did, refusing to let humans, gnomes, dwarves and halflings come in the city, fearing it would "violate" the sanctity of their beautiful city, and their dignity as "noble" elves. Those days are long gone now, and Myth Drannor became a symbol of peaceful coexistence between elves, humans, dwarves, halflings and gnomes. Some people are simply afraid of changes, I guess.

"They erected thorny brambles to keep intruders out, and used their powers to frighten away the men and women that came to build homes in a place they felt was... obviously so close to the gods," Arundel continued as I was daydreaming about the stories I heard of the origins of Myth Drannor. "It wasn't until the succession of of Archdruid Tolben that things changed. Unlike his predecessors, he believed that the settlement of the valley was not only inevitable, but it was actually the will of Silvanus. He also believed that we had been wrong in keeping the settlers away, and that the Oak Father had intended people to share in the miracle of the Great Oak from the beginning," Arundel explained.

I realized that Tolben reminded me of what I heard about coronal Eltargrim Irithyl, the ruler of Cormanthor shortly before it became Myth Drannor. Like Tolben five thousand years after him, Eltargrim believed that peaceful coexistence with humans, dwarves, gnomes and halflings is inevitable and necessary for the survival of Cormanthor's citizens, despite what some of his fellow elves believed about humans being unable to coexist with nature like we elves naturally can. He was right, to this very day, Myth Drannor continued to be a symbol of peaceful relations between elves, humans and other races who aren't known to be entirely evil, and Tolben and his ideals are right, too. Before this day, I have never seen a town like Kuldahar that could be a perfect symbol of coexistence between man and nature.

"When Tolben finally became Archdruid, he formed a plan to fulfill the destiny of this sacred site by bringing about a union between the Great Oak shrine and the settlers. It was this union that the Archdruid Tolben believed would achieve the harmony that we had been striving for for generations... the harmony between man and nature. As it stands, Kuldahar is a monument to this vision. The tree And town exist in a natural symbiosis where it is next to impossible to tell where one leaves off and the other begins. But now, the balance is threatened."

"What happens if we fail to find the source of these... disturbances?" Lysara asked.

"Then all that we have worked for will be destroyed. The evil that has come to these mountains infects the town like a disease. As its people suffer, so does the tree suffer from the the sickness that attacks the balance, corrupting it with its very presence. Already, the circle of warmth that radiates from the Great Oak has begun to recede. We were forced to abandon the outlying farmsteads as a result of the shrine's fading power. If we do not take action soon, I am afraid that the life-giving warmth will cease altogether. Both the Great Oak and the town nestled within its roots will die. this must _not_ happen. We need your help."

To my utter disappointment during my recollections of the stories of Myth Drannor, the city does not exist anymore. It fell on the Year of Doom (714 DR) during the Weeping War thanks to the actions of the Trio Nefarious and the Army of Darkness. If Kuldahar is in danger of becoming extinct too, like Myth Drannor before it, I will do everything in my power to stop this mysterious evil from tearing down another symbolic settlement on the face of Faerun.

"We came here to help you and the people of this town, Arundel, and that is what we'll do. Where must we begin our search for this evil?" I asked with determination.

"I suggest you begin your search investigating the Vale of Shadows. It's a place not far northeast from here. Darkness has always clung to the floor of the small canyon, as if the light of the sun itself were wary of the place. There is a large, ancient crypt hidden somewhere within the shadows of the Vale's narrow cliff walls. There have been rumors of the dead awakening and emerging from their dusty tombs to walk once more amongst men. If these rumors are true, then I suspect whatever is responsible for disturbing their slumber may be behind the other disturbances as well. Go to the Vale of Shadows. Learn what you can about the happenings there, then return here then we shall discuss a course of action. Good luck and farewell."

"We'll return as soon as we learn what we can," I promised as we left the house.

Before heading off to the Vale of Shadows, my group and I went to a tavern knwon as The Root Cellar, and there we ate warm foods and cool drinks. Ordmar drank frost wine, Andy and I drank arrowflight ale, Gorris and Felicia drank knee cracker cider, and Lysara drank Kuldahar tree sap, which, despite its name, isn't really tree sap at all. Then we rested for a day at the Evening Shade. The next morning, we set off northeast for the Vale of Shadows after getting properly equipped at a weapon shop, where I bought a new crossbow to replace the one I lost back at Kuldahar Pass seconds before the avalanche fell on us, and Lysara bought herself a +1 shortbow, which was almost the most expensive weapon in stock. We also visited a mage known as Orrick the Gray, who runs a shop for wizards with his goblin assistant Weenog, we purchased a wand that fires magic missiles for Andy since he is unable to use the Magic Missile spell without using the wand more than once. After that, we are almost penniless, having only two gold coins, one silver coin and not a single copper coin. Then we left Kuldahar going east along a very sturdy stone bridge that took us over a seemingly bottomless chasm that the town and tree are near.

* * *

6 hours later while walking along the snow-covered pathway to the Vale of Shadows, which is the section of the canyon where there are shadows even though it is highsun. We eventually encountered a terrified man running towards us, apparently coming from the Vale.

"Whoa! Slow down!" Gorris exclaimed to the terrified man.

"Run! The Vale's... filled with yetis!" The man exclaimed, trying to catch his breath but having trouble because of his heart pounding rapidly. "Tried to outrun them, but... two of them... still chasing me! Run! Get help!" The man exclaimed.

I looked ahead and around the curve going right, I saw two tundra yetis appear from the blind corner of the curve coming for us!

"Here they come guys!" I exclaimed, readying my crossbow, taking aim, and Lysara aimed her bow at them, preparing to fire an arrow.

When they got in range, Lysara and I fired at their heads! Andy, armed with a sling and a pack full of sling bullets, flung a sling bullet but missed trying to attack the tundra yeti I planned on shooting, but my aim and Lysara's were true. Both of us hit the two yetis on the foreheads and they collapsed dead.

"Okay, we're clear," I said, taking the time to reload another bolt into my crossbow.

"Thanks," the man thanked us. "My name is Mirek, by the way."

Then we proceeded to introduce ourselves.

"Nice to meet you all," Mirek nodded. "I thought the time to join my ancestors had finally come. Last time I ever set foot anywhere near the Vale, that's for certain. There's all sorts of strange creatures roaming around there now. "

"Really? Are you serious?" Gorris asked.

Mirek nodded. "I sure am. My brother Silas and I made a pilgrimage there to pay our respects to our family crypt, like we do every year, but this time... I don't know; the Vale seems... different... *cursed* somehow. The shadows have come alive, and there's yetis roaming the paths, attacking travelers."

"What happened to your brother?" Andy asked.

Mirek lowered his head sadly. "He's dead. the largest yeti I've ever seen tore out of the snow and took a piece out of him with its claws. he fell, dead as a stone, blood everywhere."

"I suggest you return to Kuldahar and stay there. We're going to the Vale to investigate what is going on there," Gorris said.

"Good luck, and be careful," Mirek said with a thankful nod before going down the trail to Kuldahar while we went the opposite direction towards the Vale.

Three hours later, we reached the Vale, and by the grace of Mielikki, this section of the canyon is gloomy! We saw the torch lights outside the crypt entrance 50 yards ahead of us on the other side of the semi dark canyon, there are two large bronze statues of robed men on both sides of the main crypt entrance, one has its head attached to the body and seems to be praying while the other to the right is missing its head and left arm. But the strangest thing is we didn't see a single yeti on the winding pathways ahead, and what is even more unsettling is we could sense that this place is extremely dangerous, even though we couldn't see the danger... yet.

"Follow my lead... and be careful," I whispered, holding my crossbow up as I took point, moving forward, with Lysara beside me and Ordmar too.

We made our way slowly and carefully towards the main crypt, the one that is flanked by the two big bronze statues. I never lowered my crossbow, not even for a second, and Lysara made sure she held her bow and arrow ready to shoot at anything that threatened us. When nothing seemed to try to ambush us, we cautiously moved forward. In the center of the Vale, I noticed, is another ancient bronze statue. Unlike the other two near the main crypt entrance, this one is in a seated position, head lowered and arms entwined together in prayer. And at that moment, I allowed myself to get distracted by an ancient statue. I don't know why, but I couldn't stop myself from wondering who the statue might be praying to, then I heard Andy exclaim:

"YETIS! LOOK OUT!"

His shout is what snapped me out of my trance, and I turned around just in time to see Lysara shoot an arrow at one of the yetis coming at us from behind, Gorris and Felicia hat to crouch so that Lysara could get a clear shot. There are four yetis coming at us, and Lysara killing one only served to make its brethren more angry.

"Look alive, boy! We got company!" Ordmar nudged me urgently.

I aimed my crossbow at the yeti that is getting close to Andy.

"Uh, Jovan! Shoot now!" Andy exclaimed as the yeti pulled back its arm preparing to deliver a powerful punch to Andy.

I quickly took aim at the yeti's face and fired! As soon as the bolt struck the yeti in its right eye, it misdirected its punch missing Andy's face by 6 inches, and the momentum of its punch caused it to fall off the canyon pathway down to the ground 50 feet below. Gorris drew his war axes, came at the remaining two yetis with Ordmar by his yeti Gorris is fighting tried to strike him with a right hook, but the barbarian is too swift, he crouched, dodging the blow, then struck the yeti in the chest with the war ax in his left hand. At the same time, the other yeti slammed its left fist down at Ordmar, but he blocked the blow with his shield, and even though he was able to withstand the strong punch, that doesn't mean that his left arm didn't sting from the aftershock of the impact. At the same time Gorris attacked the other yeti with the war ax in his right arm, Ordmar swatted aside the other yeti's arm with his war hammer, then delivered a stunning strike to the yeti's chest, causing it to stagger back a few inches.

Andy and Xalorn thought it was their imagination playing tricks on them, but from the area where the seated praying statue is, they thought they saw five ghostly shadow figures hovering over the large gap that separated the statue from where my group and I, including the two yetis are. However, once we heard the Shadow ghosts screech a loud, otherworldly screech, we realized that our imaginations aren't playing tricks on us at all.

"Oh no! We got more company coming!" Andy exclaimed, and fired a magic missile at one of the Shadows coming toward us, but not using the magic missile wand though. The small sphere of magical energy hit one of the Shadow ghosts causing it to melt into thin air, but still the remaining four continued to approach us.

At that moment, Gorris and Ordmar finished dispatching the yetis, but they soon realized that down the path we came from, 5 more yetis are coming towards us, the Shadows aren't the only threat we have to contend with.

"There's too many of them coming! Run!" I exclaimed, then we ran for the 10 foot long wooden bridge that will take us directly to the main crypt entrance instead of the pathway that would lead north several feet and curve left to the spot where the seated praying statue is.

Normally I'm not afraid if heights, but as soon as I stepped on the bridge and ran across it, the bridge rocking slightly made me feel a little lightheaded. I managed to cross the bridge first, then Xalorn, Felicia, Andy, Gorris, Lysara and Ordmar. Andy and Lysara stayed by my side to attack the yetis crossing the bridge. Lysara shot first, her arrow striking the lead yeti in the chest causing him to stagger back and the yetis behind him crashed into him, and they suddenly lost their balance and fell off the bridge. But the four Shadows are still coming at us, screeching loudly and reaching towards us with cold, spectral hands that threaten to sap our strength slowly if they touch us. I've heard stories that if a Shadow kills you by completely draining your strength, your corpse becomes a new Shadow a few hours later. I fired my crossbow at one of them, and even though they are spirits, the crossbow bolt still harmed it as it would to a creature made of flesh and blood, and since I shot the spectral creature in the head, it evaporated into thin air after the bolt pierced through its head. Andy killed the third Shadow with his Magic Missile wand. The last Shadow got a little too close to us for us to attack it with ranged weapons. Fortunately Xalorn with his +1 morningstar was with us to strike down the shadow before it could touch me while I was trying to quickly place my crossbow behind my back and reach my long sword.

"Thanks," I nodded at Xalorn thankfully.

"Don't mention it," the half-orc smirked.

For now, it seemed as if we were out of the woods. We still sensed danger around us, but as we drew nearer to the main crypt entrance which is flanked by the two bronze statues, we saw no yetis or Shadows anywhere, everything seemed quiet now, but we didn't let our guard down, not even me, I learned my lesson not to let anything distract me. We are now only 8 feet away from the main crypt entrance, and as we moved towards the the large opening that has no door of any kind, I walked by a large mound of snow to my right. Ordmar was walking beside me to my left at that moment, and somehow, out of the corner of his right eye, he must have seen something odd about that large mound of snow, because he shouted something that that almost startled me.

"_MOVE, ELF, MOVE!"_

As quickly as he could, he put himself between me and the mound of snow, and as he did, a big arm covered in white fur burst out of the mound of snow and the hand grabbed Ordmar before he could react!

"No!" Gorris and Lysara exclaimed together in unison.

"Ordmar!" I shouted as I stepped back a few inches in surprise.

A yeti, who was under the mound of snow in a crouching position quickly stood up, holding Ordmar in its left hand and without hestation, he slammed the dwarf down to the ground! Ordmar saw flashing spots dancing around the blackness of his closed eyes upon impact, and his body and head ached with near excruciating pain even though his armor saved him from more life threatening damage. We didn't hesitate attacking the yeti before he could do more harm to Ordmar. With a furious yell, Gorris jumped on the yeti's back and holding on to its long, fine fur with his left hand, he brought down his war ax in his right hand down on the yeti's right shoulder while Xalorn struck at the yeti's left leg, stunning it. Lysara took aim at the yeti's head, then before firing, she said:

"Die, you bastard."

The arrow flew at the yeti's head and struck it in the left eye. The yeti nearly collapsed dead on Ordmar, but instead, collapsed next to him. After the danger was defeated, Andy and I rushed over to Ordmar and helped him stand up. He is still breathing, but apparently he felt severe pain in his chest as he tried to breathe.

"Are you okay? Anything broken?" Andy asked the dwarf.

"*cough* *cough*... I'll be fine, lad. It'll take more than a durned yeti to bring ol' Ordmar Coppershield down," Ordmar grinned, then spat blood.

Lysara ran up to Ordmar and hugged him.

"Ordmar! Thank the gods you're okay!" She exclaimed happily.

"Now now, no need to cry, lass, I ain't going nowhere yet. I'm hurtin' all over, sure, but none of me bones are broken at least," he assured her.

"Damn it, we really need a cleric now..." Andy muttered.

"Or at least a healing potion," Gorris said.

"We have neither, so we must press on, unfortunately," I said regretfully.

And so we entered the crypt together.

Once inside, we found ourselves in a room with three pillars surrounding us on both sides, there is also an inlaid mosaic of a wolf paw in the middle of the floor, and ahead of us about 9 feet away is a worn, old statue depicting a barbarian warrior leaning on a sword too big to be held with one hand.

"Is that Jerrod?" I asked Gorris, pointing at the statue.

Gorris frowned at me. "How did you know about the legendary shaman Jerrod?" He asked me.

"Oh, before we left Easthaven, a priest of Tempus named Everard told me the story about him," I explained.

Gorris nodded to show that he understood. There are only two ways forward. The hallway to the statue's right leads to a dead end, while the hallway to the statue's left leads down to an closed iron gate. We went down the hall lit by torches of blue flame towards the iron gate. Fortunately the gate isn't locked. However, as soon as we entered the room beyond the gate where there are two pools of water with skulls and bones floating in them, we were suddenly attacked my nearly a dozen live skeletons armed with swords, maces and a few other melee weapons I'm not in the mood of describing. Even though he is still under mild pain, Ordmar fought the skeletons with us with ease as if he were in perfect health. I'll never underestimate him again.

After all the undead skeletons were defeated, I stood between the two pools of water near a pedestal that supports a large book that is secured to the pedestal by chain. I didn't read the book because I saw it is no ordinary book; its cover and pages are made out of human skin, and as far as I can tell, the words in the pages aren't written in ink, they are written in blood. As for the room we are in, there are only six ways out, the way we came in, the large door ahead of us, the door to the left, the door to the right, the door to the right next to the iron gate, and the door at the corner of the door to the left. We tried opening the first four doors, but they are all locked, and I assumed that they probably lead into family crypts like Mirek and his brother's family crypt, for example. Lysara tried lock-picking the door to the right, and it opened, so we searched that way.

The crypt we wandered into is very disturbing, there are more than a dozen human bones crammed into the niches of the walls. There is nothing of interest here, so we got out of there and instead tried to open the large door ahead of the two pools of water.

Fortunately that door is not locked, and it made a loud creaking noise as we entered. In the next room beyond we encountered six armored skeleton warriors and their commander. The one who I believe is the leader wore a different kind of body armor and he wore a necklace with an amulet of a wolf's paw on it. To my surprise, instead of attacking us, the undead skeleton commander spoke to us.

"Greetings. I am Bone Dancer Mytos," the skeleton commander bowed respectfully at us. "I must commend you on your efforts to enter here. Your perseverance is remarkable, to say the least. Now tell me, why are you here?"

"We are adventurers here to ask someone here some questions," I answered.

Mytos crossed his arms. "What questions?" He pressed.

"We seek the evil that threatens Kuldahar's balance. Would that be you?" I asked.

Mytos's eyeless sockets glowed from green to dark blue as he rubbed his chin.

"Kuldahar... Do you refer to that little hamlet under the great tree?" He asked.

I nodded.

"No, my concerns lie within these walls, not without. I would suggest you continue your search elsewhere."

"If you are not responsible, then who is?" I asked.

"I have no idea," Mytos shrugged. "What happens outside this vale is of no concern to me."

"It will be of concern to you when this so-called foreign evil turns its attention upon you. I'm not accusing you of this evil, but if you really are innocent of Kuldahar's woes, could you at least tell us who you think might be responsible?"

Mytos didn't speak for a while, considering my words carefully. Then finally he said: "I don't know who might be responsible for the hamlet's woes, but my superior might know," he admitted.

"Your superior...?" Ordmar frowned in confusion, he assumed that Mytos is in command of the undead here.

"Can you take us to see him?" I asked. "It's urgent that we meet with him."

Mytos slowly nodded. "I will bring you to him," he agreed.

Mytos and his soldiers guided us into the deepest areas of the crypt, and everywhere I went, saw banners of the wolf paw. What group or organization did these people belong to when they were among the living?

We were eventually brought to a large door in front of another inlaid mosaic of a wolf's paw on the floor just like near the tomb's entrance. We waited as Mytos's soldiers pushed the door open, and after the door was pushed wide open revealing seven small circular pools of water in the next room and a coffin atop a flight of stairs ahead of the small pools, Mytos entered the room first and I saw an undead spirit in the room awaiting his approach. This spirit is clad in black armor and a helmet obscuring his face except his glowing violet eyes.

"Master, you have visitors," Mytos informed the spirit in black armor, then he signaled to us to come in.

We cautiously entered the room, and Mytos's superior approached us, his arms spread out wide.

"At last... The mighty adventurers stand before me. To what do I owe this... honor?" He asked us by way of greeting.

"I take it you were expecting us?" I asked him.

"I have been observing your progress ever since you first stepped foot into my realm. It was only a matter of time before you made your way here. So tell me, why have you come?"

"Before I answer that, tell me who you are. I don't recognize you," I said.

"In life, I was Kresselack the Black Wolf. In death, I am nothing, a mere shadow cursed to haunt these walls."

Back then, when we personally met him, I knew nothing about Kresselack the Black Wolf. But now, I do. According to what I recently dug up, Kresselack's presence here in the Vale is the reason why no historians dare to venture to this place and officially record in the history of the realms the identity and deeds of Kresselack. They say that his hands were as blood, his footsteps deft like a winter wolf in the snow, and his troops struck like arrows into the hearts of people in towns and hamlets across the Spine of the World. No one dared to speak his name as if it were cursed, and people were obviously overjoyed when they received news of Kresselack's passing.

"Why are you cursed?" Andy asked out of curiosity.

"Hmm. Why indeed," Kresselack replied with a soft chuckle that sent chills rising up and down my spine. "That is a long tale. Would you care to hear it?"

I felt that by hearing his backstory we might gain insight on whether he is responsible for Kuldahar's woes or not.

"Yes, we are listening," I said for Andy.

"As a young man, I was a conqueror. I ravaged the lands and brought all who opposed me under my rule. I built a kingdom upon the corpses of my enemies and i reveled in the glories of war," Kresselack proclaimed, raising his clenched hand proudly for a moment, then he lowered his arm on the next part of his story and made his voice calm.

"However, in time my sword grew heavy, my aim less true, and I realized I was growing old. For the first time in my life, I knew fear... Realizing that death would someday claim me, I returned to my homeland. For months, I pondered what course I should pursue in my remaining years. I thought of my kingdom and all that I had fought to create, but it was meaningless to me. A kingdom lasts a lifetime, but death lasts an eternity. I decided to forsake all I had wrought in life for a place in the afterlife..."

"What did you do?" Lysara asked him.

"I ordered this tomb built in utmost secrecy and squandered the wealth of my kingdom doing so. Upon its completion, I traveled here with my most faithful followers to survey the work. Finding all in order, I slew the workers and buried them throughout the Vale outside and in this tomb. My faithful followers I sacrificed to become... the guardians of this tomb. Finally I sacrificed myself to my god, hoping to stand at his side in the land of the dead. Little did I know that my actions would instead bind me to these halls for eternity."

"Okay. As for why we are here, we are seeking the evil that plagues Kuldahar. That wouldn't be you, would it?" I asked, cutting to the chase.

"If it is evil you seek, then look no further. I stand here before you. However, I am not the one who plagues Kuldahar. For that evil, you must look elsewhere."

"Now that we know your history, why should we believe you are innocent?" I asked.

Kressalack's glowing eyes darkened. "I care not at all whether you believe me, adventurer. I am centuries dead and bound to these to these halls for eternity. I care even less of the living or their gathering places. If your Kuldahar is beset by evil, it is not of my doing. Go seek your villain elsewhere," he said and prepared to turn his back on us.

"If not you, then who is responsible?" Andy asked.

Kresselack turned to face us again, and I got the feeling that if he could show us, he would be smiling.

"Who indeed... I can answer your question, but I require a boon first. Perform a task for me, and I will answer you."

We felt more wary now. "What task?" I asked.

"Auril, the ice goddess, is worshiped by some here in the cold north. Auril commands her followers to extinguish all fires, to open structures to cold winds, and to deny a warmth a place to gather. As you can see, my tomb would be an abomination to a follower of Auril," Kresselack replied.

"I concede your point. Go on," I nodded.

"A priestess of Auril has stood at the threshold of my tomb and gazed within. Recently she attempted entry, but my guardians foiled her. Now that you've slain most of my guardians, there is little to prevent her from returning and carrying out the will of Auril. I do not wish to spend eternity in a cold, lightless hell. Find this Aurilite... and slay her. Only then I will answer you."

"All right. We will deal with this priestess of Auril," I agreed.

"Excellent," Kresselack nodded approvingly. "Be quick about the task, for even now I sense her presence within the Vale. Return to me when you have dealt with her. Until then, I have nothing more to say."

* * *

When we left the tomb and searched the Vale up and down for the priestess of Auril's campsite, no Shadows pestered us, only yetis, for some reason. When we came to the area where the seated praying bronze statue is, I noticed a pathway at the edge going down somewhere. We followed that path down to a cavern below. If a priestess of Auril set up a campsite somewhere here in the Vale, a cold cavern sounds like the ideal spot.

"All right, I'll go in first. If she attacks me, come in shooting," I told my group, and I stepped into the cold cavern alone.

The cavern isn't as vast as I thought it would be, but the only room inside is bigger than I imagined. The ceiling is 48 feet above my head, and the priestess's camp s on the other side of the room. There are two tents erected, one held six crates of most likely food and water, and the other tent is obviously where the priestess sleeps in her bedroll. As I approached, her camp, I saw her emerge from her tent and walk over to the tent where the crates are kept, possibly to get something to eat or drink. As far as I can tell, she is a fair skinned human woman no older than 36 from the looks of it, she has short brown hair and to my surprise, she only wore bright blue robes that are cyan colored at the sleeves, nothing more, not even a cloak to keep herself warm! Its almost as if her body is accustomed to being cold. She didn't see me yet, so I didn't hesitate approaching. However when I got 5 feet close to her camp, she emerged holding a sandwich in her hands, and when she saw me, she froze in confusion.

"This is my private retreat," she said, her mouth partially full of the sandwich she just took a bite out of. She paused to swallow it then said: "I will thank you to leave me to my solitude."

"I seek a priestess of Auril. Would that be you?" I called.

I didn't expect her to come out and admit that she does worship Auril, but she rubbed her chin in thought with her left hand while holding her partially bitten sandwich in her right hand.

"Hmm... I am somewhat familiar with Auril. The Frostmaiden is not very popular among most peoples. Many worship her out of fear rather than love or devotion. her truly faithful are rare and secretive, to say the least. Why do you seek such a person?" She asked before biting more of her sandwich.

"I must speak to her about a matter of some importance," I said, approaching more, but carefully analyzing my distance from the woman.

The woman raised her left eyebrow in amusement. "Really? Hmm... I must admit that I am bursting with curiosity. I can't imagine what is so important that you would seek out a follower of Auril... Would you care to enlighten me?"

"Sorry, this is a private matter that I must only discuss with the priestess," I said.

The woman sighed. "I see... Very well, let us end this charade. I am Lysan, servant of Auril. you have found your priestess. Now, state your business with me."

"I have come on behalf of the spirit of the tomb here. He is worried about your intentions toward his resting place," I replied.

"Hmm. I know nothing of any spirit, but I am familiar with the tomb you speak of. It is an abomination in the eyes of my goddess. I intend to make it... more pleasing to Her tastes," Lysan replied.

"What of Kuldahar?" I asked, sensing that she might be another threat to Kuldahar too.

"Kuldahar, the great tree, and the circle of warmth are an abomination in the eyes of Auril. Kuldahar and your spirit's tomb shall embrace the winter in Her name or perish in the cold wastes! The will of Auril shall be done."

"No it won't, Lysan. I can't allow you to do this, sorry," I said.

"Oh really? How sad. I shall have to kill you then. Prepare to meet your fate, fool!"

"So be it!" I declared, acting as if I was reaching for my long sword.

Lysan wielded her mace and attempted to strike me with it, swinging downwards at my head, but I dodged and she missed, and at the same time, I grabbed Apsel's dagger and cut Lysan's right lung with it as we passed by each other trying to strike each other at the same moment. I froze in place, and Lysan froze too, utterly confused. She felt sharp pain below her chest and she looked down and noticed a red stain growing on the side of her robes.

"_I... I... No._.." She muttered in disbelief before falling to her knees and collapsing dead.

At that moment my companions entered the cavern.

"Jovan!" Felicia called.

"It is done. Let's go back," I informed my companions while wiping Lysan's blood off the dagger.

* * *

Minutes later we returned to Kresselack in his tomb.

"You have returned," he announced.

"Yes. The priestess of Auril is dead now," I announced.

"Yes... I no longer sense her presence. You have done well, and I thank you. As a reward, you may take my sword and body armor from my corpse in my sarcophagus," he said.

"Ye also promised that ye'd tell us who is responsible for the disturbances at Kuldahar," Ordmar reminded him.

"Yes... so I did... the truth of the matter is I do not know who is responsible. I can only assure you that it is not I, nor is it anyone in this vale. Were it to be otherwise, I would sense it," Kresselack replied casually.

"Hold on one moment, this is not the answer you promised us," Gorris said accusingly.

"Promised? I made you no promises, adventurer. As for your answer... knowing where your enemy is *NOT* is as vital as knowing as where he *IS*. Think upon that," Kresselack replied.

"We will, and we will take our leave. Farewell," I said, then we left the tomb, never to return, heading back to Kuldahar with news to Arundel that no one in the Vale Of Shadows is responsible for the woes plaguing Kuldahar.


	4. Chapter 4 Eye of the Dragon part 1

A few hours later we returned to Kuldahar in the night hours, and though we were exhausted from our travel, we decided to go see Arundel before resting at the inn. When we entered his house, we found Arundel sitting in his chair and reading a book, patiently waiting for our return. When he heard us come in, he stood up out of his chair and approached us.

"Ah, you have returned. What news? Does the evil we seek lie within the Vale of Shadows?" He asked us eagerly.

"No. We've discovered that the undead in the Vale of Shadows were not connected to the disturbances in any way," I informed Arundel.

The hopeful look on Arundel's face turned into a sad frown and he sighed in disappointment.

"Then the true source must lie elsewhere... I sense this evil has taken great care to conceal itself from prying eyes. I fear that by the time we discover it... it may be too late."

I sensed a feeling of dread spreading around the room, not just from Arundel, but from some of my companions.

"What should we do now?" Xalorn asked, the moment I opened my mouth to say something similar.

Arundel seemed to perk up at that question, as if he were glad that we are not admitting defeat yet. Or maybe an idea came to him suddenly.

"There may be a way to find that which does not wish to be found through magical means," he said hopefully, dispelling the feeling of despair in the room. "However, to accomplish this, I will need your help again."

"We are ready to help any way we can," Felicia said.

"Then here is what must be done. I need you to find an ancient druidic artifact known as the Heartstone Gem. It is a powerful scrying stone that can be used to divine the location of this evil," Arundel said. "Long ago, the Heartstone rested here within this shrine. The druids of Kuldahar used its power to gain insight on the balance and to look into the affairs of men throughout the realms."

"Wow," Andy said in awe. "It's amazing that the druids of Kuldahar have such a powerful artifact..."

Arundel nodded at Andy in agreement before continuing his explanation of the gem's origins. "Then, one day an initiate of the shrine stole the Heartstone and fled Kuldahar. The young druid had grown impatient with the humble teachings of his mentor, the Archdruid, and hungered for power of his own. He disappeared into the mountains, along with the artifact, and was never heard from again. A few short years after the theft, there were rumors of a strange cult establishing a temple in these mountains. It is conceivable that the rogue druid may have been connected in some way with the emergence of this new cult. If so, then it is possible that the Heartstone Gem may still be found within this temple."

I smiled after Arundel said this. We finally have a new lead.

"Where is this mystery cult's temple located? Do you have some clue?" Felicia asked.

"The temple is rumored to lie in a canyon far to the east of Kuldahar. Journey to the temple and discover if the Heartstone is indeed there. If so, return it to Kuldahar and I shall use its power to find the answers we seek," Arundel instructed with a hopeful shine in his eyes.

"Very well. We are off, then," I said with a nod.

"Not so fast, lad," Ordmar cut in. "I need to rest me weary bones fer a while."

I blinked in surprise. I felt ashamed that I forgotten that Ordmar suffered wounds back in the Vale of Shadows.

"That's right, I forgot. Arundel, our journey to the temple will have to wait for a while. We need to rest for a couple days before we move out," I said.

Arundel nodded. "Very well. Rest up, but please don't dawdle. There's no telling how much time we have left before the life giving heat from the Great Oak dies out."

After we left Arundel's shrine, we headed towards The Evening Shade. As soon as we stepped inside the inn, Aldwin, the halfling owner of this place, who is sitting behind the reception desk on a chair reading a book casually while smoking a pipe looked up and saw us come in.

"Well, look who's back..." He said with a cheerful smile, but his smile faded away and his mouth dropped open wide enough for the pipe to fall out and hit the surface of the service desk when he saw Ordmar's bruised, battered face and dented body armor.

"Whoa! Sweet mother of mercy! What happened to him?" Aldwin asked with mild concern.

"Yeti attack," Gorris replied, helping me guide Ordmar along to make sure he doesn't fall over or faint. "We went to the Vale of Shadows to investigate something, and old Ordmar here got injured."

"Is there a cleric in town that we can see?"

Aldwin blinked twice before replying. "Well, you could get help from Sister Calliana or Brother Gus or his twin brother Ferg at the House of the Bleeding Rose, a temple dedicated to Ilmater on the other side of the tree," he suggested.

"Great. Felicia, Andy, go to the temple and bring Calliana, Gus or Ferg over here to heal Ordmar. We'll buy a room for him here," Gorris instructed, and without hesitation, Andy and Felicia left the inn, then Gorris turned his attention to Aldwin. "And we'd like to rent seven rooms to stay in for tonight, please."

Aldwin nodded. "All right, that will be ten copper coins," he said.

"Done," I said as I placed ten copper pieces on the service desk, then we moved Ordmar upstairs with Lysara and Xalorn's help after getting the keys to our hotel rooms.

We went upstairs and placed Ordmar in room #64. This isn't a big, luxury inn, and there are only 70 rooms total, and we happen to be the only guests in this inn. I opened the door, then allowed Gorris and Xalorn to help Ordmar walk inside.

"Me head is poundin' somethin' fierce, lads," Ordmar groaned, holding his head.

"Help him get on the bed," I instructed Gorris and Xalorn as I walked in the room with them.

With little effort, Gorris and Xalorn, with their combined strength, lifted Ordmer up and placed him on the bed.

"Take off his armor," Gorris said to Xalorn, and they proceeded to do that, removing Ordmar's shield, gauntlets, war hammer, greaves, boots and all until all he wore were his tan colored tunic and pants. They noticed this his muscular arms are deeply bruised and tense, but other than severe body aches and a headache, there are no signs of any broken bones.

"I need a drink," Ordmar muttered.

"What drink? Wine? Ale?" Gorris asked with uncertainty.

"I don't care which drink ye get! Just get me something cold to stop this durned headache!" Ordmar snapped, causing Gorris to jump in astonishment.

"I think you better do what he says, Gorris. When he gets cranky, you don't wanna be around him when he gets cranky," Lysara warned him.

Now Gorris looked unsettled, like he felt unsafe being around Ordmar now.

"Uh... let's go to the Root Cellar. I'm thirsty, anyway," he said to Gorris while nudging his head in the direction towards the door, then walked away.

"Riiight. Thirsty," Xalorn said skeptically with a humored chuckle as he followed Gorris out.

I guess he suspected that Gorris is afraid of getting on Ordmar's bad side and wanted to stay away from him for a while. Now it's just me and Lysara alone with Ordmar. She hopped on the bed and checked Ordmar's head to see if his head is resting on his pillows comfortably.

"Will you really be all right, Ordmar?" She asked with concern.

Ordmar looked at her and forced a weak smile. "Just 'cause I be an old dwarf don't mean me bones are growing weak and brittle. I'll live, Lys, don't ye worry yer pretty little face about me," Ordmar reassured her.

Smiling while her eyes grew moist with tears, Lysara leaned in close to kiss Ordmar's forehead and kissed him there. I stood back, watching the whole thing, not wanting to ruin the sentimental moment. From what I gathered, Ordmar and Lysara are very close. There is no romance between them, that I can see, but there is love and trust there, the kind of love between a father and daughter. But what happened to Lysara's real parents? And how did she end up being adopted by Ordmar? These are questions that I believe are too sensitive to be answered. Maybe another time. Instead, a couple minutes later, I approached them with another question I wanted answered.

"Ordmar..." I began when I sat down on the bed. "... Why did you save me? You could have let that yeti grab me, but you didn't. Why?"

Ordmar let a few seconds of silence follow after my question, then he smiled.

"Because I'm a proud dwarven defender, elf. Tis what I do best, defending me allies with me life, if need be. If I let that yeti grab ye, ye would be in worse shape than me. Ye'd likely be in yer grave early. I would never let a friend or ally of mine face danger unprotected. I made that vow when I became one of Berronar Truesilver's clerics."

"Who is that?" I asked, being completely unfamiliar with dwarf gods and goddesses.

"Berronar Truesilver, Mother of Safety, is the wife of Moradin, the All-Father," Ordmar replied.

"You were a cleric once?" I asked.

Ordmar nodded, smiling despite his pounding headache causing him much discomfort.

"Aye, and a fine one I was. As one of Berronar's faenor, which means "those of home" in Dwarvish, I took pride in serving as a one of many guardians of clan Coppershield. However, recent events got me thinking that maybe I could be a better protector than I can as a cleric, clan Coppershield has enough clerics to protect them. So instead of remaining a cleric, I became a dwarven defender, a choice not many faenor make."

I don't always pry into someone's personal life, but I became curious. "What made you make that choice?" I asked.

Ordmar stared up at the ceiling dreamily. "I... made a promise... to a dear friend..." He said then closed his eyes.

I didn't bother him with more questions and Lysara climbed off the bed to stand next to me.

"He's been very good to me," she assured me.

"I can tell," I nodded at her, then crossed my arms while watching Ordmar sleep. "He is a man of honor. I respect people like him."

* * *

Meanwhile Andy and Felicia opened the front doors of the temple of Ilmater known as the House of the Bleeding Rose. The double doors are 20 feet in height and 15 feet in length, and they never made any creaking noises as they swung open. Then two identical men in gray robes approached Andy and Felicia, likely to welcome them.

"Blessings of the Broken God be upon you, friends," they said together in unison.

"I am Brother Ferg," the man to the left said.

"And I am Brother Gus," the man to the right said.

"How may we aid you?" Ferg asked.

Andy opened his mouth to say something, but no words immediately came out. He wanted to ask if Ferg and Gus are twins, but he fretted that he might be intending on asking a stupid question... but he gathered the courage to say it anyway.

"Uh... are you two twins?"

Ferg and Gus looked at each other for a second, then turned to look at Andy with a smile.

"Isn't it obvious? We are twins," Gus confirmed.

"Wow... It's almost rare to find twins in Faerun," Felicia said in awe.

"Yes..." Gus nodded. "... Well, is there some way I can be of assistance friends?" he asked, driving into the heart of the matter.

"Our friend, Ordmar Coppershield got wounded in battle. He is resting at The Evening Shade. We are hoping to find a cleric that can heal the wounded and bring him or her to the inn so he or she can heal his injuries," Andy explained.

"The healer you are looking for would be Revered Sister Calliana. She is at prayer upon the altar ahead, she is more capable of healing wounds than my brother and I," Ferg said, standing aside and pointing ahead so Andy and Felicia could easily see Calliana, a human woman with short dark blond hair sitting down with her legs crossed and head lowered in silent prayer to Ilmater.

"Is it all right to interrupt her in the middle of a prayer?" Andy asked.

"It's perfectly fine," Gus assured them.

Then Andy and Felicia made their way towards the altar and stopped five feet away from Calliana.

Without saying a word to her, they waited and in seconds, Calliana stood up, then turned around to face them. She has green eyes, perfectly round face with smooth vanilla skin and her calm demeanor set Andy and Felicia at ease.

"Welcome, visitors. Arundel has been speaking highly of you and your group. You seek to learn the disturbances of Kuldahar?" She asked, her voice calm and melodic.

"Yes, but we're kinda off to a bad start," Felicia said.

"How may the faithful of Ilmater serve you?" Calliana asked.

"A dwarf named Ordmar Coppershield got wounded in battle. We were told that you can provide your services as a healer. Can you?" Andy asked.

Calliana's face seemed to brighten a bit as she smiled.

"You have been informed correctly. As acting head of this temple, it is my privilege to bestow aid I can in upon those in need... no small task, I might add, what with all the troubles that plague this town as of late."

Andy decided to receive information about the disturbances of Kuldahar from another person's perspective, like form Calliana.

"Do you have any idea what the source of this evil is? We went to the Vale of Shadows and turned up no new details," he told her.

"I'm sorry, I regret to inform you that the source of this evil is unknown to me. All I know is evil has cast its shadow upon these lands, and it has somehow affected the weather, creating snowstorms in the the evil is well hidden, its touch can be felt everywhere. Several townspeople have gone missing, including Revered Mother Egenia, and Revered Brother Poquelin.

"Who are Egenia and Poquelin?" Felicia asked.

"Revered Sister Egenia is the true head of the temple, and she is a more experienced healer than I. Revered Brother Poquelin is a visiting senior priest of Ilmater. He visited Kuldahar several days ago on a pilgrimage to the Monastery of the Weeping Lilac in Bryn Shander. He traveled quite a ways, all the way from... from Cormyr, I believe is what he said. He must be from those distant regions, for he bore a holy symbol of Ilmater that was unfamiliar to me. In any case, he promised to return with aid once he reached Bryn Shander. I hope he is all right..." Calliana said.

"I'm sure he is. Anyway, we need your help. Our dwarven friend Ordmar, who is resting at The Evening Shade inn is wounded and bruised and is in great need of a healer," Andy said.

Andy and Felicia returned to The Evening Shade with Calliana minutes later. They guided her ot Ordmar's room and she used her clerical healing spells to heal the bruises on Ordmar's body, cure him of his headache and other injuries that cannot be seen. After he was healed, he slept more peacefully, and we paid Calliana 15 silver pieces and four copper pieces because that was all the money we had left. Later that night we slept peacefully.

* * *

The next morning, after eating a good breakfast and going to Conlan's shop to restock on crossbow bolts and arrows, we left Kuldahar, heading directly east towards the other side of the canyon where the strange temple of this mysterious cult is rumored to be... if it even exists. Along the way, we were occasionally waylaid by small groups of yetis. On the third day of our travel to this temple, I was beginning to lost hope on if the temple exists. On the fourth day, we became exhausted and tired even though we ate a ham sandwich to keep us going. And I have to say this: the thing I hear Andy complain about along the way is how much he hates travelling on foot for long distances because it can be very tiring for your feet, you slowly run out of food and water to keep you going, and when the time comes for you to expel the digested remains of the meals you've eaten out of your body, there is no privy for you to use out in the wilderness, you have to find a good spot to relieve yourself, and Andy keeps whining that relieving yourself on a snow-covered tundra with cold winds blowing at your face and body is far from comfortable. I'm not comfortable with it either, being in a cold environment is not a comfortable thing for us elves either, but Felicia, Gorris and Xalorn, who are used to the cold weather have no problem with this, besides, we have no choice in this matter. Ordmar doesn't complain either.

However, on the evening of the fourth day, we came across a cavern on the other side of the canyon across a stone bridge over frozen water, flanked by four familiar stern-faced robed statues that reminded me of the praying statues at the Vale of Shadows. All of them had their arms folded except one.

"This looks familiar..." I muttered to myself, looking at the identical 15 foot tall praying statues.

"Hey Jovan, do you think this is the cult's temple, or just a winter wolf's cave?" Lysara pointed out.

I looked at the cavern's entrance carefully, then I shrugged. "I don't know, but it won't hurt to look and see."

"Wait," Xalorn said, and we looked at him.

He stepped forward then got down on his knee and examined the snow. We didn't notice before, but there are dozens of footprints coming towards and away from the cave, even zigzagging lines in the snow.

"I think it's safe to say that we found our temple," Xalorn grinned. "These footprints are all the clues we need."

"Then let's go find that Heartstone Gem," I said.

Before we got near the stone bridge, a 12 feet tall human... no a verbeeg wearing body armor made out of yeti pelts, emerged from the cavern, carrying a spear and shield, looking terrified as if demons from the Nine Hells are on his heels. Verbeegs are giant kin, and the reason why I thought the verbeeg was a giant human is because verbeegs are the only species of giants that closely resemble humans, and they are known to be very proficient in handling spears as weapons, which is why the one my group and I see carries one.

"Move out of way!" The verbeeg called to us as he ran across the bridge.

"Whoa, hold on a second. I have a few questions for you," I said to him, holding my hands up signaling him to stop.

We didn't move, and when he got close enough to tower over us, he stopped rather than trample over us. Then the smell of his yeti hide body armor hit our noses. His armor smelled bad as if a yeti wiped its arse with the armor after taking a dump.

"Red Toe has no time to speak with puny peoples. Must run away," the verbeeg said urgently, and I could see his face is sweating with perspiration. whatever he saw in there, scared him to death and sent him running, something that has never happened to him in his life before.

"Run away from what?" Xalorn asked.

"Red Toe running from holy place. He runs so he no die like others," Red Toe said impatiently.

"What others? What are you talking about?" Felicia asked the verbeeg.

Red Toe seemed to grow more and more impatient, lifting his right leg up, then left leg as if he were running, but still standing in one spot. "Others, inside holy place. Red Toe not go back there. Not safe for verbeeg anymore," he said then ran away.

"Forget him. Let's just keep going," Xalorn urged us.

"I don't know. What do you think got him so spooked?" Andy asked the half-orc.

Xalorn shrugged. "We won't find out until we see for ourselves," he said.

And so we crossed the stone bridge over the frozen pond and entered the cavern.

Inside, we saw a torch lamp lighting the way about 8 feet ahead of us to our right. As we neared the torch lamp, we saw further ahead a large copper robed statue in a sitting position, both legs crossed, as if meditating. We could also hear the trickling sound of water pouring down somewhere. As we got closer to the statue, we saw that the statue sitting on a pedestal in front of a small pool of water, and there are two passageways, one to the statue's left, the other to the statue's right.

"I don't like this. It's too quiet," Felicia said.

I turned my head left and right, trying to decide which direction to follow. I decided to go down the passageway to the statue's left. Along the hallway, we saw dead bodies! Dead bodies of verbeeg and human members of this mystery cult strewn all over the floor, their fresh blood staining the floor red!

"Guh... I think I'm gonna be sick..." Andy groaned, pinching his nose with his left hand as he carefully stepped over the bodies of the cultists and their verbeeg allies with us.

Xalorn noticed magic missile burn marks on the chests of some of the slain, and sword cuts on the chest, neck or an arrow shaft or two sticking out of their chest or heads, signifying the attacks must have came in force, armed with magic spells and various melee weapons, including bows and arrows.

"Someone planned an assault on this cult," Xalorn said as he stepped over a cultist who was shot in the chest by an arrow.

We reached the end of the corridor and it turned left, we followed it until we reached two rooms conjoined, both of them contained many dead bodies of cultists and their verbeeg allies.

"Sweet Mielikki's kiss..." I gasped in shock. "Whoever attacked this cult apparently has no plans on taking any prisoners..."

"Still we should press on carefully, they could still be here," Gorris said.

We moved on to the next room connected to the one we are in, taking care not to trip ourselves over the corpses littered all over the floor. In the second room, the only way out is immediately to our left, and we went down a 10 foot long flight of stairs, then we went down a spiraling staircase in the next room down to the lower floor of the temple.

The air down here feels more warmer than on the ground floor level. We walked down a corridor with walls made of stone until we reached the part where the walls become made of multicolored limestone and cement in elaborate patterns. It susrprises me that these cultists were able to build their temple into a vast cavern. As we drew nearer to the room where there are six thin pillars lined up in rows of three, we saw more and more bodies of verbeeg and cultist members all around the floor.

"Who could have done this?" Felicia asked.

"I have no idea," I replied as we passed between the first two pillars, holding my crossbow ready in case someone might attack us.

"Do ye think whoever attacked these cultists were after the Heartstone Gem?" Ordmar asked.

I felt my heart leap in my chest after he said that. I never considered the possibility that this mysterious evil would have a mole somewhere in Kuldahar tracking our every move and sent an army to attack the cult and steal the Heartstone Gem before we do, so that we will fail in unmasking this mysterious evil.

"I... I hope not..." I muttered as we passed between the last two pillars, heading for a narrow corridor that leads to a large wooden door, which likely leads into the room housing the Heartsone Gem... if it is still in there.

As we entered the corridor, Lysara stepped ahead of us, checking for traps that we might accidentally trigger. It took her a minute to check, but she confirmed that there are no traps in the corridor, so we headed towards the door and opened it, stepping inside. Past the doors, the cavernous stone walls are glowing an orange-red color, as if they are illuminated by the light of lava. Curving north, we walked on a bridge that took us over a seemingly bottomless pit, and I saw that the orange-red light is coming from the bottomless pit. Across the bridge on the other platform, I saw a large solid gold pedestal ahead flanked on both sides by two lit braziers glowing bright with fire, and around the pedestal and braziers, more than a dozen dead cultists and verbeegs lay lifeless on the stone floor, some slashed or stabbed by swords or clubbed to death, others shot by arrows.

"I think it's safe to say that this mystery cult is all but dead," Andy said.

When I peered at the pedestal, I saw nothing sitting on it. I could clearly see that this would be where the Heartstone Gem would be kept, but I couldn't see it at all. Nothing sits on the pedestal.

"No... No no no..." I muttered as I ran towards the pedestal, jumping over body after body so I won't trip over on them.

When I got close enough to the pedestal to touch it, I noticed a thick layer of dust upon it appeared to be disturbed near where the gem would be held, confirming my fears that whoever attacked this cult was after the Heartstone Gem, and now they got it.

"No!" I screamed in dismay, sinking to my feet.

My group knew why I'm sad, so they had no need to ask me what is wrong.

"So it's true... They really were after it..." Gorris sighed.

I stood up on my feet. "What do we do now?" I asked my group for answers.

"We track down whoever is responsible," Xalorn asked.

"How do we do that?! We got no leads!" Ordmar snapped.

"Then we find a lead. Look at the bodies," Xalorn pointed out.

We examined the bodies, and as we did, we saw something odd. Some of the dead cult members have severely discolored skin.

"Look at their skin," Felicia said in surprise and disgust. "They look as if they had been ravaged by disease or poison."

"Like the dead bodies on on the base of those biers in that room back there," Lysara recalled back at the door they passed through after walking down the corridor.

To the door's left and right there were bodies of dead cultists mounted on each and every bier.

"These people poison their own members?" Andy asked in confusion.

"Only servants of Talona would do such a thing," Ordmar said, the tone of his voice obviously showing his moral disgust at the deed.

I dug my hands deep into the robes of a dead cultist I was examining, hoping that he carried something unusual or interesting. He had been shot in the left eye by his attacker, so I did my best not to look at his face and see the arrow stuck into his left eye socket. My hand eventually grabbed a bottle of some kind. i pulled it out of the dead man's robes and stood up slowly, examining it. The vial contained a strange liquid inside. It looked thick and syrupy and unless my imagination is playing tricks on my tired mind, the liquid appears to be congealed.

"Guys! Look at what I found!" I called.

Everyone gathered around me, all eyes on the vial.

"What do you think this is, Xalorn?" I aksed, handing him the vial.

"Hmm... No idea. I will say this, it ain't water or ale, so don't drink it," he warned me.

"I don't recognize it either," Andy said after a short moment of thinking on what it could be.

"Okay, I'm just speculating, but I think that these mystery attackers are actually Talonites. Servants of Talona are known to poison people, right? What if they are the ones responsible for poisoning these cultists? Look at the robe color of the man Jovan found this vial from. His robe color does not match the robes of the cultist, which means he must be the only casualty of the people who took the Heartsone Gem," Felicia said.

Andy looked at Felicia in amusement. "You know what? I think you may be right," he said.

"Let's take this back to Arundel and see what he has to say about it," I suggested.

* * *

4 days later we arrived back at Kuldahar all tired. We slept at the inn for the night before going to Arundel's shrine because we spent four days walking through the tundra without sleep.

Arundel was glad to see us when we entered his house.

"Ah, you have returned. What news? Have you found the Heartstone Gem?" He asked.

"Well, we discovered that the Gem was indeed at the temple. Unfortunately someone got there first and took the gem long before we got there. The entire cult is dead now," I explained.

Arundel frowned in surprise and worry. "Ah, this is terrible news. Did you find any clues as to who these mysterious thieves may be or where they might have taken the gem?"

I reached into my bag and pulled out the vial I found, handing it to Arundel.

"I found this," I simply said as I did so. "I found a body of a Talonite priest among the corpses of the slain cultists and their verbeeg guards. He was carrying this strange vial of odd liquid. Do you recognize it?"

Arundel studied the liquid inside the vial carefully.

"Hmm... This liquid appears to be a form of undiluted snake venom. No doubt this priest of Talona was carrying it for use as a poison." Arundel announced, then he placed the vial on a small table. "You did well in bringing this to me. This may be just the clue we needed."

I felt so relieved to hear those words, but Lysara was confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"You see, once extracted, venom such as this tends to lose its potency rather quickly... usually over the course of a few days. So, it follows that this Talonite must have obtained the poison from somewhere within these mountains. And there is only one place where poisonous reptiles could thrive in these cold, wind-swept mountains," Arundel clarified.

"And where is that?" Ordmar asked.

"Dragon's Eye," Arundel said, raising his voice a bit. "It is a vast network of caverns that lead deep into the bowels of a dormant volcano. The entrance is barely a day's journey from here. I suggest you continue your search for the Heartstone Gem there. "

"All right. We're off immediately, then," I said, then we left Arundel's house.

As we stepped outside, Arundel followed after us and said: "Take care, and be cautious. The caverns of Dragon's Eye are fraught with many perils. Tread lightly, and be wary of the creatures that dwell within its depths."

"Thanks for the warning, Arundel. We will prepare ourselves before we go," I replied to him.

Before leaving Kuldahar once more, we bought plenty of food and water to last us a few days should we get lost in those caverns, then we set off east. I could see the entrance to Dragon's Eye far ahead partially shrouded in the cold mist of the mountains. I saw a giant crag of rock in the shape of a dragon's head with its maw wide open. We headed towards it.

The next morning, we got to the Dragon's Eye entrance, standing near the mouth of the stone structure shaped like a dragon's skull. We saw steam billowing out of the "eyes" of the rocky crag, giving the illusion that the dragon skull is alive and releasing smoke.

"That... is unsettling," Andy shook his head slowly in awe.

"Let's go in and get this overwith," Xalorn said.

After taking a few steps towards the open maw of the rocky crag, three ice trolls, who appeared to be standing guard at the mouth of the entrance saw us coming and charged at us.

"Oh no... Ice trolls..." Gorris moaned, recognizing their pale, translucent skin and long, carrot-like nose even from the distance where we stood.

Before this day, I knew nothing about ice trolls, but now I do. They stand 8 feet tall, weighing 400 pounds, and I've heard that ice trolls are carnivores and love to eat the flesh of humans, elves, dwarves, it doesn't really matter to them, as long as their prey has plenty of meat on its bones, and something tells me that the three ice trolls coming at us are very hungry.

"(So hungry! Fresh meat!)" One of the ice trolls exclaimed in the native language of giants called "Jotun" or something like that.

"Get ready! Here they come!" Ordmar exclaimed, stepping ahead of us holding his big shield ready.

Andy, who took the time to learn a few new spells from Orrick the Gray before we left Kuldahar this morning, casted Melf's Acid Arrow at the closest ice troll.

The magical acid arrow struck the ice troll in the chest, and it howled in pain, immediately collapsing dead because the magic arrow struck it directly in the heart. Angered by the fall of their friend, the other two trolls charged directly at Ordmar since he's up front ahead of us, and they didn't falter even as Lysara and I started shooting at them. I managed to shoot down the ice troll behind the one closer to Ordmar, and the last one engaged in melee combat with the dwarf, trying to knock his shield aside. Ordmar stayed on the defensive, serving as a defensive distraction while Gorris and Xalorn jumped in and double-teamed the ice troll, Gorris slashing up the troll with his two war axes, and Xalorn bashing it with his +1 moringstar. Overwhelmed, the troll eventually collapsed dead. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that some trolls do not have the ability to heal their wounds. Fortunately for us, these type of ice trolls we fought possess no such ability. And so, after defeating the trolls, we moved on into the mouth of the Dragon's Eye entrance.

"Uh... this is a bit scary," Andy said, feeling a little shaken as he looked up at the upper part of the rocky crag's dragon mouth, and the tooth-like stalactites above.

"Don't get cold feet on us now, Andy," Gorris said and chuckled at his own joke.

Andy frowned at him in disapproval. "Oh, har har har, very funny, Gorris. That was so funny, I forgot to laugh," he said sarcastically.

Once inside the cave, we were safe in the veil of the cavern's heat. Or so we thought. No sooner than we entered the cave, there is a patrol group of eight lizard men waiting for us!

I've heard much about these humanoid lizards, but I've never met one before. Lizard folk are a race of reptilian humanoids, their bodies are similar to humans, elves and dwarves, standing upright and all. Their skin is covered in scales that vary in colors from dark green to black, brown or grey. Their average height is between 6 to 7 feet tall and weigh between 200 to 250 pounds, their eye color is always yellow, and they have non-prehensile tails that grow up to 3 or four feet in length. They can hold their breath longer underwater than a human can, they wear little clothing, but they do use swords, spears, shields, clubs and other weapons, and they value meat over money and jewels, in fact, they get distracted by sweet tasty meat, even in the middle of battle.

As soon as the lizard folk standing guard saw us, they got into battle positions, then the patrol group leader exclaimed:

"_Sset-Chak!_"

Something tells me that means "Attack!" or "Kill them!" in Draconic, which happens to be the native language of dragons and other intelligent reptile related creatures. I don't know the language at all, and I didn't need to in order to understand what the lizard man patrol leader said, because they started to attack us!

"Attack!" Ordmar shouted.

As Ordmar, Gorris and Xalorn charged at the armed lizard men head-on, Andy noticed a lizard man with brown scales, who happens to be a shaman, beginning to cast a spell, either to support his allies or harm Andy and his group. Andy, not wanting to take that risk, cast another new spell he recently learned, Deafness, at the lizard man shaman behind the lizard men armed with spears, war axes, swords and shields. After casting the Deafness spell on the lizard man shaman, he could no longer hear his voice and that startled him, mispronouncing the next command word and as a result, disrupting the spell. None of the eight lizard men carried ranged weapons like crossbows or bows and arrows, fortunately, and that gave my group and I a tactical advantage. While Gorris, Xalorn and Ordmar engaged in melee combat with them, Lysara and I stayed back to shoot at them whenever we have a clear shot. Felicia stayed with me, Lysara and Andy, playing a beautiful tune with her lute, which somehow invigorated me and everyone else somehow. I don't recognize the song she is playing, but it is beautiful, though. Andy casted a magic missile at the shaman, killing him, I shot the patrol group leader, who is armed with a shield as he tried to attack Gorris after blocking his attack with his shield. Xalorn managed to kill three lizard men, Lysara shot one of them in the head, Ordmar leaped up and bashed his shield against one of the lizard men and killed it swinging his war hammer at its legs, crippling it, then smashing its head. The last lizard man in the group was wounded by a sling bullet to the head by Andy, and Gorris took that time to disembowel the creature.

After they were dead, I noticed that each one of the slain lizard men carried some kind of glass pot attached to the sides of their waists on their belts. I walked over to the nearest slain lizard man, one with dark green scales, and pulled the glass pot off his belt, and examined it.

"Whoa, wait! Don't drop that!" Andy exclaimed, but not loudly.

"Why?" I looked back at him in concern, wondering why he is so jumpy.

"That glass jar contains a mixture of expensive oil and various other chemicals in it! I can tell by looking at it!" Andy said.

My eyes widened. "Why would lizard folk carry glass jars of volatile oil with them?" I asked.

"Remember the ice trolls we fought outside? Chances are we might run into trolls that can heal their wounds quicker than we can give them wounds," Xalorn said.

"Good point. Okay, people, let's take as much of these jars of chemicals as we can. We might need them later," I said.

I carried one, Andy carried one, Gorris carried two, Felicia carried one, Xalorn carried two, and Ordmar carried one.

"Hey, why can't I get one of those?" Lysara asked.

Ordmar gave her a withering glare.

"*sigh*, okay, I understand," Lysara groaned like an unhappy child.

And so we moved on deeper into the caverns, taking whatever detour we could take. Sometimes we ran into dead ends and ended up being forced to retrace our steps back and go the opposite passageway. Some of those dead ends we ran into were rather unpleasant, because apparently a few lizard men have decided to defecate at a few dead ends since they can't go outside the Dragon's Eye caverns into the harsh cold air to do it. As soon as we smelled something foul around the curve of a passageway, we immediately turned around. And sometimes we ran into more patrol groups of Lizard Men, and after we killed them, we took a few more of their jars full of oil and volatile chemicals, if they had any, that is, not all lizard men carried those. We walked through the cavern for what seemed to be two hours! We didn't know where we were going, or if we are going the right direction. Eventually we came across a small plank bridge held by ropes over a small stream of water.

"Hey," Lysara called to Andy.

"What?" He asked.

"We call these lizard folk "Lizard Men", right?"

"Yeah. What's your point, Lysara?" Andy asked.

"Aren't there such thing as "Lizard Women" or something like that? Does anyone know how to tell the difference between the males and females of these guys?" Lysara asked curiously.

Andy shrugged. "I doubt it. Knowledge like that is only known among themselves," he said, and he was right. The difference between male and female lizard folk is largely unknown outside the lizard folk themselves.

And so we continue on wandering aimlessly through the vast caverns of Dragon's Eye, hoping that we are blindly heading in the right direction. Eventually we stumbled into what appears to be a dining room of some kind for the Lizard Men. They were seated around a large rectangular table made of old wood with pieces of blood covered meat scattered all over the surface. I had this feeling that I almost threw up when I noticed that one of the pieces of meat had some cloth from a tunic attached to it before it was snatched into the hands of a Lizard Man, placed into his mouth, chewed to smaller pieces and swallowed.

If my speculation is right, then the flesh these Lizard Men are eating are probably from some of the people taken captive from Kuldahar, and I'm sure my companions suspect this too. My heart sank even more when I laid eyes on the king of the Lizard Men, the most muscular creature I've ever seen, and the only one with small wings on his back, and the only one that has grey colored scales, sitting on a large wooden chair eating the leg of an ice troll, I could tell because the white fur is still attached to the flesh. He is not alone, there are six other Lizard Men with him, most likely his bodyguards, and they noticed us ten seconds after we entered the chamber. The Lizard Man king stood up on his legs, threw down the half-eaten ice troll leg and bared his blood covered sharp, serrated teeth.

"Peoples!" He exclaimed with a raspy and long pronunciation of the "S" at the end of the word like a talking reptile would typically do. "What are you doing here? Cave belong to Lizard King Lissspen. Me," he told us.

I was going to speak first before any of my companions did, but Andy beat me to it.

"Where did you learn to speak Common, you ignorant savage? I've seen goblins with better speech than you," he said, and I can tell that something about the Lizard Men had angered him, but I didn't know what.

I did not want him or anyone else to insult these Lizard Men, but he did it anyway, and I knew that the Lizard Man king will not forgive the insulting remark Andy threw at him. But he had a good question, though. Where did the Lizard Man king learn to speak Common? Human languages aren't known to reptilian tribes who don't socialize with human in any way or at least a creature who does socialize with them for benevolent or harmful reasons.

"Lizard King are smart as you, idiot. Common not the words of my people. Like to see you try speaking lizard tongue," the Lizard Man king replied harshly to Andy, pointing an accusing finger at him.

Before Andy could say anything else, I raised my hand up to signal him to be quiet. "Let me handle this, loud mouth, and shut up, for once, will you?" I berated Andy to show the Lizard Men that I am the leader of my group and they should pay more attention to me than him.

Though Andy gave me a confused, disapproving frown, he stepped back and allowed me to speak freely to the Lizard Man king. I did not know this or even learned it at that time, but the Lizard Man king was not just a king of the Lizard Men, he is a demon that is called a "Lizard King". Lizard Kings and Queens are demon-blooded lizardfolk that usually rule tribes of their non-fiendish relatives. After putting Andy in his place in the eyes of the Lizard King and his bodyguards, I turned my attention to them and said apologetically:

"I apologize for the outburst of my companion, Lizard King. He barks, but he doesn't bite often."

The moment I paused there for a second I heard Gorris and Xalorn snicker behind me at Andy, and I heard Andy growl in annoyance.

"Please grant us some of your great wisdom and tell us why you are here in these caverns," I continued.

The Lizard King then drew his sword. "Giving praise to Lizard King not make me want eating you any less. Do not struggle," he said, then exclaimed to his bodyguards after he jumped on the dining table towering over all of us: "Sset-Chak, a karuni!"

And at that moment, he and his bodyguards came at us with their weapons drawn.

"Andy, I'm going to have to have a word with you when this is over!" I exclaimed to him as we readied ourselves for a fight.

As always, Gorris, Ordmar and Xalorn came charging forward first, and I followed, wielding my long sword instead of my crossbow this time, while Lysara, Felicia and Andy hung back.

While Xalorn, Gorris, Ordmar and I were in melee combat with most of the Lizard Men, Andy hit the Lizard King with a spell called Ray of Enfeeblement, a stream of green mist sprayed out from Andy's curled fingers moving towards the Lizard King who is still standing on the dining table, and the stream of mist hit him right in the chest. He groaned in pain, suddenly feeling weak, as if he hadn't had any sleep or anything to eat in three days. We were still fighting his bodyguards, so he wasn't in battle with any of us yet, giving him time to find out who hit him with the magic spell. It didn't take him long to realize that the spell was cast by Andy, though. Then he barked an order to a Lizard Man shaman in the lizardfolk tongue to take care of our mage.

Lysara was shooting arrows at the Lizard King's bodyguards, helping me, Ordmar, Gorris and Xalorn fell them one by one, and Felicia is playing her lute, her music magically invigorating us to fight more efficiently. Andy was preparing to cast another spell, but the Lizard Man shaman stopped Andy by casting a spell called Hold Person on him, and because of that spell, Andy ended up being rigidly immobilized.

"Oh no!" Felicia gasped.

"I got the bastard," Lysara assured Felicia as she took aim at the Lizard Man shaman, but she missed when he leapt aside and crouched under the table on the other side for cover.

Meanwhile Ordmar bashed his shield against a Lizard Man, sending him toppling over the dining table and falling over the other end, and Gorriz and Xalorn split the heads of two Lizard Men at the same time. The Lizard King, seeing his bodyguards quickly falling, decided that if he is going to die soon, he'd rather die knowing that Andy is dead too, so he jumped down off the table and charged at Felicia, Lysara and immobilized Andy! Even Lysara's arrow hitting him on his left shoulder couldn't stop him!

"Oh no!" Felicia gasped.

Ordmar noticed the Lizard King charging at them and threw his war ax horizontally at the Lizard King's legs. when the blade bit deep into his right knee, the Lizard King yelped in pain and dropped down on his good knee, lowering his head down and groaning in much pain. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Felicia dropped her lute, wielded her mace, and charged at the Lizard King. When he looked up to see a half-elf woman coming at him with a mace, he knew it is too late for him to defend himself. The last thing he saw before the world blacked out around him was Felicia's mace swinging down hard and fast toward his head vertically.

"Ooh!" Lysara groaned in disgust when she saw and heard the Lizard King's head crack under the force of being smashed by Felicia's mace, and he fell over, lifeless.

After the last Lizard Man in the room was defeated, Ordmar retrieved his weapon from the Lizard King's corpse and we waited for the Hold Person spell to wear off on Andy. It took six minutes for that to happen, and when it did, I immediately started to scold him.

'What the hells were you thinking you fool?" I growled.

"What? What did I do?" Andy asked innocently.

"You antagonized that Lizard Man when we could have received important information from him! Look at the table over there! Notice anything odd about the pieces meat they were eating before we crashed their party? One of them had a piece of cloth attached to it, I've seen it! I have reasons to believe that the people abducted from Kuldahar are here somewhere, and the Lizard King knew where they are being held."

"There is a possibility that he might be working for someone," Felicia said.

"I know. The snake venom, and servants of Talona... There is more than Lizardfolk at work here, they are working for someone, I'm sure of it," I said inquisitively while rubbing my chin in thought.

"So whoever commands them is inside this cavern somewhere?" Lysara wondered.

"We won't know until we find out," Gorris said.

"Agreed. Let's move," I said, then we left the dining room, leaving the bodies of the Lizard King and his bodyguards to slowly decompose.

* * *

It took us a while, but we found a passageway that takes us down to a lower level of the caverns. Here, the air smelled a bit more fresher than the level above us for some reason, no hint of the scent of rotting meat or dung piles.

"Ahh! Fresh air!" Gorris sighed in relief.

"Shh! We might not be alone in these caverns," Xalorn shushed him.

I turned my head left and right, noticing that there is no way forward, but there are two passageways, one to our left, the other to the right. I saw Xalorn step forward, kneel down to the ground and inspect it for footprints.

"What are you doing?" Lysara asked curiously.

"Checking for footprints, what does it look like?" Xalorn retorted.

Lysara frowned in offense and crossed her arms. "Well, excuse me!"

Xalorn ignored her remark and continued inspecting the stone floor, which had a little sand on it, which proved to be useful for Xalorn's tracking abilities.

"Hmm... I see lots of footprints here, scattered everywhere. Some are unidentifiable because they have overlapped. Some prints from spiders, some from trolls, and some from... boots," he said.

"Boots? As in people walked by here?" Andy asked curiously.

Xalorn stood up and brushed the dirt off his knees. "Yup," he confirmed. "And whoever they are, they took the passage to our right."

"Okay, if you say so. Lead on," I said to Xalorn.

As we followed him down the winding passages, Gorris spoke to me.

"Aren't you glad we have someone like him around?" He asked me and winked.

"He is very good at what he does," I admitted with a pleased smile.

"He takes after his human father, after all," Gorris added.

I frowned in confusion, because usually for half-orc parents, it is the orc who is the father and the mother a human, not the other way around.

"Human father?" I repeated.

Gorris sighed as we walked down the part of the tunnel curving left into a wide room with nothing in it except three dead phase spiders there and a few lit torches in a brazier.

"I understand your surprise," he said with a nod. "His mother was an orc. It is very surprising. Orc women are nowhere near as attractive as elf women, or even half-orc women, for that matter."

"I heard that, Gorris. Do you want to know how it feels to have a mace bash you upside your head?" Felicia warned him.

Gorris looked back at her with a surprised guilty look that told her just because he didn't mention half-elf women doesn't mean he thinks they are ugly.

"I'm just surprised and confused. It is very unusual for human men to crossbreed with orc women. What happened?" I asked.

"Shh! Not here. I'll tell you next time when we are not in earshot of him. He gets really angry when he hears me talk about his mother," I said.

"Okay, okay, sorry," I apologized, then double-checked my crossbow to see if it is loaded. It is, and we moved on following Xalorn without further conversation.

Along the way, we encountered a few trolls. I hated to get near those things, their armpits smell like sour mustard when they swing their arms at you. Without the glass jars of expensive oil that we found, defeating the trolls would be impossible because they are known to heal their wounds very quickly. If you stab or strike a troll with your sword, their wounds will heal up almost faster than you can blink your eyes. With the fire from the oil that we throw at them, the fire renders their regenerating ability useless, burning them to death.

Andy's spell, Melf's Acid Arrow into their hearts works pretty good too. After fighting through the trolls, with Xalorn's guidance we found ourselves in a larger room with many lit torches in braziers around, and six priests of Talona, four men and two women surrounding a woman who judging by her clothing is a cleric of Ilmater, but the strange thing is she didn't appear terrified, she appeared rather calm, as if resigned to her fate. Andy immediately recognized the priests surrounding the woman as priests of Talona.

"Hey! Those are the people who stole the Heartstone Gem from the other temple! I recognize their robes!" Andy exclaimed to us.

Unfortunately his voice was loud enough to carry over to the Talonites and they heard him.

"Look! Over there, intruders!" One of them exclaimed pointing straight at us.

Well, there's no point for being subtle now. I raised my crossbow aiming at them as we approached them, even Lysara had her shortbow aimed at hem, ready to shoot an arrow at anyone who tried anything funny.

"Nobody make a move!" I ordered at the priests and priestesses of Talona as I aimed my crossbow at them one at a time instead of being focused on one of them. "One false move and you'll get a bolt between your eyes. Now tell me, what are you doing here, and what do you want with the Heartstone Gem?" I demanded after my companions and I stopped 8 feet away from the clerics of Talona and their captive.

"Why do you care about the gem?" One of the men asked without fear in the tone of his voice.

Before I could reply, Xalorn stepped forward and spoke.

"Hey, small fry, we are the ones asking the questions here!"

We noticed that all the clerics of Talona tensed up. Apparently they didn't want to die, but they also did not want to explain to us why they stole the Heartstone Gem from the cult belonging to the man who stole the gem first. Judging by the tense looks on their faces, they seem to be trying to find an opportunity to attack us.

"Don't try anything fishy," Lysara reminded them, keeping her shortbow trained on the young man who dared to ask us why we want the Heartstone Gem, and pulling her right hand back on the bowstring further to show that she will fire her arrow if she must.

Then one of the women thrust out both of her hands firing two Magic Missiles at us, and they hit me in the chest! As soon as the spheres of arcane energy hit me, I pulled the trigger of my crossbow before I fell back. I was trying to shoot at the cleric who attacked me, but I misfired. However, the bolt flew at another one Talonite priests and struck him in the neck, causing him to make a strangulated sound as he sank to his knees, clutching his neck which is bleeding out profusely. My companions immediately attacked the other priests and priestesses of Talona before they could attack us in response. They were little challenge unlike the Lizard Men, so we won pretty easily. After every one of them were slain, Xalorn reached down towards me with his right hand, I grabbed it and he helped me stand back up on my feet.

"You all right?" He asked me.

"Yeah," I replied, touching my chest for bleeding wounds but felt none. "Just a flesh wound, that's all," I assured the half-orc.

"Thank you for saving me from the Talonites, but I would have gladly endured their ritual to prevent them from harming the innocents," the middle aged priestess of Ilmater said to us.

"Who are you?" Andy asked her.

"I'm Egenia, a priestess of Ilmater from Kuldahar. When I leaned that people were being abducted from our town, I decided to go into the mountains and wait for these vermin to come take me," the woman replied.

"Hold on a second. You wandered this far away from Kuldahar just to let these people capture you?" Lysara asked in confusion, she couldn't understand why someone would come so far to be captured rather than fight the ones responsible for the kidnappings.

"The priests and their reptilian allies seized me as I wandered in the mountains. They were about to sacrifice me to Talona in hopes that their foul god would grant them power for their foul deed. I would have let them do so if it meant that the people they captured would be spared." Egenia replied to Lysara.

Lysara sighed in disappointment. "Lady, you're an idiot," she muttered in disdain, because it is obvious that Egenia doesn't understand that even if she lets herself be sacrificed by the Talonite priests, they will not release the citizens of Kuldahar that they captured.

"This is amusing. Servants of Talona working alongside Lizard Men? That's an alliance you don't see every day," Gorris rubbed his chin in amusement at the new information brought to light.

"But it still don't explain how or where the priests of Talona get snake venom from. Lizard Men are reptiles like snakes, but they don't produce snake venom because they aren't snakes," Ordmar observed.

I nodded in agreement. "He's right. We're missing a piece of this puzzle. Egenia, do you have any idea where the people the Talona priests and Lizard Men captured are?" I asked her.

She blinked two times then nodded.

"Yes, of course. They are this way, the Talonites kept me with them for a while before they began their reitual," she said and then led the way, going east towards a passageway that winds 20 feet down a tunnel with dozens of stalactites on the ceiling into a large open space where the people who were abducted from Kuldahar are.

I expected to find them locked in a cage or a prison cell of some kind in this part of the cavern, I never expected to find them seated in old wooden chairs or walking around freely in this room, all terrified and wondering what will their captors do to them. Not only that, there are a few wooden dinner tables scattered around the room, with bowls containing oatmeal and cups containing water. At least the captors have the decency to feed their prisoners. I reminded myself that this is a cavern, not a garrison, there's no way the Lizard Men and clerics of Talona could possibly bring a cage into this room and contain the people of Kuldahar inside. As soon as we entered this room, a chubby man with a tattered green shirt noticed us.

"Who-who-who are you?" He stammered loudly, catching the attention of the other men, women and children in the room.

I felt this urge to fidget when all of their eyes focused on me, Egenia and my companions.

"Be at peace, my friends," Egenia declared coolly, stepping ahead of us. "These are our rescuers. They rescued me, and they will rescue you too."

I moved up to stand next to Egenia.

"I'm Jovan and this is my traveling party. Arundel the druid sent us here," I said.

One woman with shaggy red hair approached us, her clothes looked old and dirty, as if she had been wearing them for months without bathing. She smelled like she hadn't bathed in that long either.

"You... actually killed our captors?" She asked me.

"Yes, we did. The Lizard Men, too," Andy replied for me.

"If you do not believe us, we'll show you," Felicia said.

Then we led all the captives out of their prison room into the room where we found Egenia and stopped the ritual the priests of Talona were doing on her. Andy and Ordmar did a head count on the number of people captured from Kuldahar as we led them out. There are 7 men, 5 women and four children. As soon as the entered the ritual room, they were shocked beyond disbelief to see the dead priests of Talona on the floor, a steadily growing pool of blood surrounding their bodies and all.

"Wow...!" A young boy with black hair said in awe.

"You killed 'em! You actually did it! Ha HA!" A blond haired woman exclaimed happily.

"That'll show 'em. Good job," a bald man said to Gorris and gave him a "congratulations" pat on his back.

Cheers and laughter rang around the room as the formerly abducted people from Kuldahar rejoiced. I noticed a 10 year old boy come up to me. He had short dirty brown hair and green eyes that seemed to sparkle in the light of this torch lit cavern room.

Meanwhile Felicia is speaking to Egenia.

"Are you sure you can escort these people back to Kuldahar by yourself?" She asked.

Egenia nodded without a hint of doubt. "We will be fine, don't worry about us. You and your friends just get to the bottom of this so that these horrible abductions never happen again," she instructed firmly.

Then we helped Egenia and the former captives retrace their steps back to the spot where they can go up to the ground level parts of the cavern and make their way out Dragon's Eye from there. We stayed in the first lower level of the cavern and continued down the opposite direction from where we started, where Xalorn checked the ground for footprints. Along the way, going down a series of twisting, rising and falling tunnels, we sometimes encountered a few giant beetles called "giant bombardier beetles". These insects are 4 feet long and weigh 30 pounds. Unlike most other beetles, these are carnivores, they usually feed on the carcasses of animals or people like a carrion crawler would, or lay their eggs in them. I know much about bombardier beetles because I've seen them around the forests of Cormanthor before, but I never expected to find them here in the Spine of the World. Our first encounter against bombardier beetles went almost terrible for Gorris and Xalorn.

When we encountered a group of bombardier beetles for the first time, Gorris and Xalorn underestimated them, charging at them head on. I warned them not to try to engage the beetles in melee combat, but they didn't listen to me, and they soon learned why it is best to keep your distance from giant bombardier beetles and use ranged weapons on them. Before they could get 7 feet close to them, the bombardier beetles turned their backs on us and began spraying acid from their rear ends at Gorris and Xalorn. The gobs of acid hit their body armor, eating away at the metal, causing them to stop in their tracks, and Gorris and Xalorn were forced to strip out of their body armor so the acid won't get on their skin.

That's not the worst part, though. The sound the beetles made as they sprayed acid was so loud, even in this cavern, that I thought I would go deaf. Gorris and Xalorn went nuts trying to pull off their breastplates and protect their ears from the loud screeching. Andy used the Agannazar's Scorcher to fry one of the beetles, Lysara shot the second one, I shot the third one, and Andy killed the last one with a magic missile. Now Gorris and Xalorn walk alongside us, with their pride hurt. But at least they still wore their shirts, pants, boots, gauntlets and greaves.

* * *

Eventually we made our way down to the second lower level of the Dragon's Eye caverns. This part of the cavern is mostly water, as far as I can see, but there are still bodies of land and bridges we can cross, as far as I can tell from where we stood. However, out journey through this part of the cave was not entirely easy. We had to fight our way past a group of undead creatures called "wights". Cold wights, to be more specific, and they stood 5 feet ahead of us in between two stone statues of cobras, and standing ahead of them is an an animated skeleton clad in rusty pieces of body armor, and an old helm made of rusted steel, who is apparently their leader or commander.

"To have come this far, you must be seeking death. I will grant it to you, interlopers," the skeleton said, or not. It's strange to describe the voice I heard. It sounds feminine and it came from the animated skeleton, but I did not see its mouth opening and closing at all. It's like someone else is speaking through it.

"Uh... what? Where is that voice coming from?" Andy observed.

"Do not concern yourself with my true form. This is my... servant. He acts as my eyes and mouth. And now he shall act as my sword," the voice replied.

Andy immediately began casting the Fireball spell, then threw the ball of fire in between the animated skeleton and the group of cold wights, and it exploded, engulfing the wights and animated skeleton on fire. The wights screamed and howled in pain as they burned to death, but the animated skeleton lumbered toward us, holding its sword and shield ready for battle. Ordmar and I charged at the animated skeleton and used teamwork to play offensively and defensively against our opponent. We realized that this animated skeleton is more challenging than any undead creature we have ever faced, its agility is remarkable for an undead creature, able to parry my attacks with its shield, then quickly turn to face Ordmar and parry his attack or try to attack him.

But thanks to the music from Felicia's lute and support from Xalorn, who was not as disheartened as Gorris is about their incident with the bombardier beetles, we overpowered the skeleton and reduced it to a pile of unanimated bones and rusted pieces of armor, then we moved on, facing a few more cold wights and fighting our way past them. Andy complained that he has no more spells memorized to help us in battle, but that didn't discourage us, though, he still has his magic missile wand. Soon we ran into another animated skeleton in a part where to our left we could see just how vast the underground lake is, spanning a mile to the nearest body of land. On some parts of the lake, I could see steam rising up.

"I'm impressed. You managed to pass my first legion. It took me several months to amass that force," the mysterious woman speaking through the animated skeleton told us.

Gorris sighed in exasperation and said: "Sorry, stupid, your shambling cronies didn't even make us break a sweat. If you really want to take us down, you better have more legions at your disposal or you'll be in big trouble," he said with smug sarcasm.

The woman speaking through the animated skeleton growled in annoyance.

"You will pay for your arrogance, whelp. The Old Enemy will suffer for sending you here," she said curtly.

All of us frowned in confusion.

"The Old Enemy? What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Do not involve yourself in this affair. It is an ancient grudge between my worthy ally and her inferior. Now, if you'll excuse me, my pets must finish you off. I have a war to plan," the voice replied, then the woman directed the animated skeleton to attack us, along with nine cold wights.

Without Andy's fireball spell, this battle ended up being a little tougher than the previous. We got a few scratches, but in the end we emerged victorious with strategy. Andy with his magic missile want and Felicia's music were a big help for us. A minute later of wandering, we ran into a third animated skeleton by itself, but the woman controlling it did not speak to us this time, and we defeated it and moved on. But after two minutes of wandering, we found the fourth animated skeleton!

"Again? I grow tired of feeding you scraps of bone and flesh," she grunted.

Then another grueling battle commenced. As we fought the fourth animated skeleton and another group of cold wights, I couldn't help but wonder: who is this mysterious woman speaking through the skeleton? As far as I can tell, judging by her ability to manipulate the undead, I'd say that she is a necromancer, and I'd like to know who is this "Old Enemy" she referred to.

After defeating the skeleton and its group of wights for the 4th time, we made our way east, following a pathway made of wooden planks on the ground until we reached a bridge, and to the left side of the bridge, under a stone archway hung dozens of skeletal totems by rope. On the middle of the bride stands the 5th animated skeleton and on the other side of the bridge is a very large brown tent.

"I see I have severely underestimated you. You are indeed truly powerful to dispatch my forces so readily. I will use caution when I destroy you," the necromancer speaking through the animated skeleton told us.

"As will we," Ordmar responded.

This fight was no challenge for us. It is now seven of us versus only the necromancer's animated skeleton. We just overwhelmed it and and attacked until it fell into a heap of bones. It became clear now that whoever controlled these undead is now short on defenses. And that whoever controls these undead must be inside that tent on the other side of the bridge. Lysara checked the bridge for traps as we cautiously crossed it. She found a tripwire and saw that if we stepped on the wire, we would trigger the trap, causing the four skeletal totems on both sides of the bridge, two on one side, two on the other, to do something terrible to us. Lysara disarmed the trap by making sure we stepped over the wire instead of stepping on it.

After we crossed the bridge, we carefully approached the tent. Lysara walked alongside me, checking for more traps while I held my crossbow at the ready, with Ordmar and Andy by my side and Gorris, Xalorn and Felicia further back behind us. When Lysara whispered to us that she does not see any traps around the tent's entrance, we carefully entered.

It is dark inside, no candles or torches are lit in here, and neither of us liked that. With my keen elven senses, however, I still sensed that we are not alone in this tent, and I'm sure Felicia sensed that too. Luckily, Andy used one of his cantrips called "Light" to shed some light in the room, by turning his magic missile wand into a glowing wand of bright yellow light. As soon as his bright staff lit up the tent, we saw a woman with long black hair wearing black loose fitting robes standing behind four poisonous zombies. She seems to be in her mid 30's and like I suspected, she is definitely a necromancer, judging by the equipment she keeps on the bookshelves 6 feet behind her.

"I take it you are the one we were speaking to while fighting those undead out there." I made no effort to hide my suspicions from her.

The woman smiled with her lips closed together. "Yes, I am the one who controlled them," she admitted shamelessly.

"Who the hell are you?" Gorris asked the necromancer.

"You may call me Presio. I am a necromancer, as you can clearly see, and I help my worthy ally plan wars against her enemies. Not that it matters to any of you since soon you'll all be dead," the woman replied with pride in her voice, then she commanded her zombies to attack.

As we fought them, Presio began to cast a spell on us, likely one that will hurt or kill us. Andy fortunately noticed this and acted fast, using his magic missile wand, throwing a magic missile at Presio, and once she was hit, she staggered back a few feet, the spell being disrupted. By then, Gorris, Ordmar and Felicia managed to kill three of zombies. Lysara and I focused on Presio, taking aim at her with our ranged weapons. She knew that she'll never have time to cast a spell on us, she'll be shot down before that could happen, so she decided to make a run for it. She ran west towards the wall of her tent with a dagger in her left hand, intending to cut her way out of the tent. I acted quickly, taking aim with my crossbow.

Lysara fired at her first, but she missed, her arrow shattering a large vial on one of the bookshelves. Unlike Lysara, I didn't directly aim at Presio, but I aimed a few inches ahead of her so that she will run into the path of the bolt. I fired, and like I expected, she ran into the path of my bolt, and it cut through her robes and straight into her lungs. She yelped in pain and collapsed just 7 inches from the tent's wall, her head and body brushing against the wall and almost causing the tent to tilt over. If you stood outside Presio's tent, you would see the bulge of her body pressing against the tent's walls from the outside.

"Well, that takes care of that," Lysara said, strapping her shortbow around her body.

"Let's take a look around, but be careful," Andy said. We carefully approached Presio's necromancy equipment. Between the two bookshelves is Presio's bedroll with a comfortable looking pillow on it. Ordmar checked the bedroll while we checked the necromancy equipment and he found Presio's war journal. Ordmar blinked in surprise as his eyes focused on the journal in his hands.

"Lads! Come ere and take a look at this!" He called to us.

We crowded around him as soon as he called us.

"What is it?" Felicia asked him.

"It's the lass's journal. Let's take a look in it," Ordmar replied as he opened the book.

In it is a list of randomly scribbled notes, not very organized, as far as I can tell, written in Common, apparently. Judging by the notes, they seem to be a list of people who might or will be a threat to Presio's ally, whoever she is. The notes say:

_"* Marketh: Leader of an unconfirmed slave force. Formerly a thief and assassin occasionally working for various mercenary companies._

_* Malavon (Many Eyes?): Sorcerer of great power. Usurper. Drow?_

_* Shikata: Beast from the Elemental Plane of Fire. Relationship unknown._

_* Arundel: Spiritual "leader" of Kuldahar. Archdruid. To be removed before he seeks aid._

_* Hrothgar: Effective leader of Easthaven. Could be trouble. Suspect Old Enemy may remove him._

_* Everard: Priest of Tempus in Easthaven. Hard to read. May need to remove. Could incite barbarians and locals to fight._

_* Frost Giants: Relationship unknown. Believed to be making deal with Old Enemy._

_* Maiden Ilmadia: Elven warrior (virgin?). Strange. Seen skulking by the Severed Hand._

_* Orrick: Mage from Kuldahar. Secretive. Possibly no threat._

_* Brother Poquelin: Traveling priest of Ilmater. Strange icons on clothes. Relationship unknown._

_Roster: 1 score lizard men, 1 score trolls, 3 score cold wights, 5 undead lieutenants, 5 histachii"_

"What the hell is a histachii?" Gorris wondered aloud.

"I don't know, but Presio mentioned having a worthy ally. I look forward to seeing who she is and getting some answers out of her," I said.

"Then we should go, we're burning daylight staying in this gods forsaken tent," Xalorn grunted in disgust looking over at the rotten corpses of poisonous zombies, and I must admit, they do stink terribly, whether they are "alive" or "dead".

We left Presio's tent and headed north past the archway to our left. We saw a temple entrance built into the large cavern wall ahead, surrounded by four rows of burning braziers. We cautiously approached the temple's entrance and entered.


	5. Chapter 5 Eye of the Dragon part 2

When we entered the temple, we found ourselves in a large room lit by torch lamps around what seems to be a large, oval swimming pool, and on the walls around the room are crimson colored banners with a holy symbol on them. I didn't recognize the holy symbol at that time, and neither did Felicia, Andy, Xalorn, Ordmar, Gorris or Lysara. Across the pool of water on the other side of the room is a plain wooden door, which obviously leads deeper into the temple.

"What is this place?" Felicia wondered aloud as we walked past the pool, taking stock of the banners hanging on the walls around us.

I don't know how to accurately describe the holy symbol on the banners, but they seem to be a large circle, with multiple triangles along the outlines of the circle like the rays of a sun or flower petals, and inside the circle seems to be the head and neck of a duck or goose, judging by how the head has a pointed nose turning east from where we stood.

"I have no idea, lass, but this place seems to be a holy temple of some kind, and those banners have a holy symbol I don't even recognize," Ordmar said.

We headed for the door after passing by the pool. I approached the door and tried to open it, but it is locked. Then I turned my attention to Andy.

"Andy, do you have a spell that will force this door open or something?" I asked him.

"I don't know any spells that can do that, sorry. If there are any, I don't know them, Andy shrugged, feeling sad that he isn't much use here.

I don't blame him for our setback. It's impossible to know how prepared you must be for an adventure like this. But I couldn't help but wonder if this temple is occupied. Why would the door be locked shut? I knocked on the door three times again. After four seconds of silence, someone opened the door, a middle aged human man in white robes with semi long, smooth gray hair, brown eyes, small beard and smooth, unblemished tan skin. As soon as he saw us, he gasped in shock, as if he had no idea we were out here seeking aid.

"Oh my! How did you get down here? Are you hurt?" He asked us with genuine concern in the tone of his voice.

"Not badly, we'll survive, but who are you, and what is this place?" Gorris answered for me.

"My name is Albion. This is a sanctuary of Eldath, the goddess of peace and tranquility," the man replied.

"What the hell are you doing in a place like this? These caverns are crawling with lizard men, crazy priests of Talona and undead!" Felicia said, echoing my concerns.

Albion licked his lips for a second before speaking. "My companions and I were drawn here when we started having dreams about foul pollution that was occurring in this area months ago. Unfortunately, the trolls, lizard men and other creatures are very difficult to work around undetected."

"Why don't you and your companions simply kill them?" Xalorn asked, frowning in confusion.

"Because Eldath forbids such acts of hostility. She believes that nothing good comes from acts of violence. Violence begets violence, and that is why we have refrained from harming the harmful creatures here. Water overcomes by gentle flowing. In striking, it only loses form, forever losing pieces of itself," Albion said.

Xalorn huffed in disapproval, and I heard him mutter to himself: "This goddess of theirs sounds like a pacifistic brat."

Then I took my turn to speak. "We are here to find a stolen artifact called the Heartstone Gem. Do you know anything about it?"

Albion frowned in thought after hearing my question. "The Heartstone Gem? It is a sacred artifact of Silvanus, isn't it? I heard that it used to rest in Kuldahar, but that it was stolen a long time ago. Other than that, I don't know much about it," he admitted.

"Don't worry about it," I said to assure him that he shouldn't feel guilty about being unable to give us useful information.

Albion nodded gratefully. "Thank you very much. We have rooms for you to rest and pools for you to bathe in further inside the temple. You can stay a while until you are ready to continue your search for the Heartstone Gem," he offered.

We blinked in surprise. A free stay in a safe temple? That sounds like a very good opportunity to take, but I don't feel entirely safe being around priests of Eldath who don't believe in fighting, even if it means to defend themselves, and their goddess sounds like a role model of a pure pacifist, not that I hate people like that. I'm sure that a few gods like Tempus and Helm frown upon her for having such a naive, childish outlook on life.

"Really? You'll let us stay here?" Felicia asked in disbelief.

Albion smiled warmly. "Sure. Eldath offers comfort and care to those who need it," he said.

Andy grinned widely. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" He politely moved his way past Albion and entered the temple first, then we followed, and Albion shut the door behind us.

We passed by a door to our left while we walked down the hallway, with Albion leading us on.

"That door we just passed by leads to Geelo's quarters. He is the librarian of the temple, so if you're ever bored, you can ask him if you can borrow one of his books to read," Albion told us.

"All right, thank you, I'll go see him as soon as we get settled here," Andy said gratefully, hoping that he would get the chance to learn and memorize new magic spells.

Halfway down the hallway, to our right is another hallway. We turned that way instead of continuing forward. Not far down that hallway, to our left and right are two doors, most likely the resting quarters of other priest and priestesses of Eldath. Albion approached the door to our left and knocked on it with his right hand twice.

"Sharra? We have visitors," Albion called.

Then in seconds, the door opened, and standing before us and Albion is one of the priestesses of Eldath known as Sharra the Healer. She is a human, seems to be in her early 30's, she has platinum blond hair, somewhat pale skin, bright blue eyes, and her face is perfectly round, making it difficult to see how high or low her cheekbones are. She is an attractive woman, no doubt, but her beauty mattered little to me, but I had a feeling that it mattered to Gorris or Andy, though. When Sharra saw us, she blinked in surprise.

"Visitors? Here? What brings you so deep into the Dragon's Eye caverns?" She asked us.

"We-" I started to say, but I got rudely interrupted by Gorris who shoved his way past me and stood in front of me, offering to speak in my stead. I guess my feeling that Gorris would be attracted to Sharra even though she is wearing completely conservative robes that do not reveal any part of her chest or legs, but shows the shape of her slender but curvaceous figure.

"We are tired and weary adventurers, in need of a haven to rest while on our search for The Heartstone Gem. Would you happen to know anything about the item we seek?" He asked gallantly.

Sharra raised an eyebrow. "The Heartstone Gem?" Then after a few seconds of thinking, she shook her head in denial. "No, sorry. I never even heard of it. I'm sorry I can't be of more help," she apologized.

"Oh, that's fine," Gorris said warmly.

Felicia groaned in disgust, knowing where Gorris is taking this conversation.

"Your beauty is more helpful than you can imagine, for I have never laid eyes on a more alluring priestess before you in my life," Gorris said suavely.

Albion smirked in amusement, and Ordmar and Xalorn snickered.

_For a family member of an Uthgardt tribe, Gorris has a good choice of words for a barbarian,_ I thought to myself.

Sharra blushed at Gorris's compliment, then said uneasily: "Oh... Thank you..." Then she placed her left hand up to her lips, covering them with her fingers and unable to keep eye contact with Albion or Gorris or anyone as if she is embarrassed about something.

If her skin were more pale, we would clearly see that she is blushing. Before Gorris could shower her with more praises, Andy interrupted him.

"The reason why we are here is because strange sightings of monsters have been occurring near Kuldahar. Do you know anything about them?" Andy asked Sharra.

"We live a secluded life here in these caverns. I don't get out very much. It's difficult with all of the evil going on above us," Sharra admitted.

"It must be difficult, living a life of seclusion with no one to consider a friend, no one to admire your beauty..." Gorris said sympathetically.

Sharra nodded, having trouble keeping eye contact with Gorris. "Yes... It is..." She said almost in a whisper, and I thought I was imagining it, but despite her shy body language, I thought I saw Sharra smirk ever so faintly.

I guess Gorris's flirtations are stirring up some feelings in her that she has been suppressing ever since the first day of her secluded life with her fellow priests and priestesses of Eldath.

"Sorry, I hate to ruin this moment, but we are in need of bedrooms and a bathtub, if ye have those here," Ordmar said.

"... Oh. Oh, of course. Follow me," Sharra said, snapping out of her trance or thoughts. "Thank you for bringing these people to my attention, Albion," she said to him, then took his place in leading us down this hallway.

As we followed Sharra, who presented to each of us the rooms we will be staying in, I looked over my shoulder to see what Albion is doing. He is walking down the hallway to the branching "T" junction then turned right, disappearing out of my sight.

"... This room to our left will be your room, Xalorn," Sharra said.

"Thanks," Xalorn nodded.

"The room to the immediate right will be your room, Ordmar,"

"Thank ye very much, lass," Ordmar nodded politely.

"The next four rooms down this hall to the left are vacant for any of you to stay in. The rest are occupied by my fellow servants of Eldath," Sharra said.

"I got dibs on one!" Lysara exclaimed, running down the hall to the first vacant door to the left after the room given to Xalorn.

"I guess that means I'll get the second one," Felicia shrugged.

"Is there a place where we can take a bath anywhere?" I asked.

"There are two rooms further down this hall that have pools of warm water that you can bathe in. You can bathe there anytime you like," Sharra replied to me.

"That's good to know. Thanks," I nodded politely, then we began to separate, entering our rooms.

As we started to enter our rooms and see how they look, I paused opening the door to my room to see Gorris still standing where we once stood, speaking to Sharra.

"Hold on. Only four vacant rooms?" I heard him ask Sharra.

"I'm sorry, we didn't expect to have so many visitors coming here. I apologize that we were not better prepared for this," Sharra sincerely apologized to him.

Gorris put his hands on his waist and sighed in disappointment. "This is not good. Where am I going to sleep? I really don't like the idea of sleeping on a bedroll on this stone tile floor," he said sullenly.

I had a feeling this was coming, and I had a feeling Gorris was expecting this. I saw Sharra stand on the tips of her feet and whisper something into Gorris's ear. Whatever she said to him, it made him smile. He saw me looking at them and he winked at me. I fully realized then that Sharra offered Gorris to sleep with her in her quarters when he is tired. I couldn't help chuckling as I opened the door and entered my room. Gorris's flirtations had benefits after all, otherwise he would be sleeping somewhere unpleasant, like on the floor. Or maybe Sharra lied to us about there being only four vacant rooms so she can have Gorris to herself. My room is lit by a torch lamp, there is a large bookshelf with 19 books near a bed designed for two people to sleep in. On the opposite side of the bed is a wardrobe where I can store my weapons, boots and body armor. In the middle of the floor is a large oval shaped rug with red, black and yellow patterns around it, patterns I don't know how to describe. Removing my cloak, body armor and weapons. It feels so good to finally get out of my body armor for a while.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Gorris, Ordmar, Xalorn, Andy and I were in one of the swimming pool rooms with warm water while Felicia and Lysara were in the other one bathing. Like Sharra said, it is down the hall, curving down past another room, then right, then beyond a door in front of a large rectangular high quality red rug with the recurring symbol of a golden carp in the rug's pattern. Andy is enjoying himself too much, as if it had been decades since he bathed in warm water. I don't blame his joy, though, bathing in warm water does feel good. We were sitting at the edges of the pool, resting against the edge and relaxing,

"I can't believe this is happening! It's like we stumbled into paradise or something!" Andy exclaimed happily to us.

"Ha! You call this paradise? If you call this place a paradise, you clearly need to get out more often," Xalorn huffed.

I could tell by the look on Andy's face that he wanted to refute Xalorn's claim, but there is some truth to what he said.

"Well... It's true, I haven't done much adventuring in my life. Remember, I was born and raised in Neverwinter. My parents, who were once mages that learned the arcane arts from Illusk's Host Tower of the Arcane, didn't like the idea of me going out as an adventurer. Since the city Illusk doesn't exist anymore because a tribe of orcs that laid siege to it decades ago, my parents taught me a little about the arcane arts, but not much, they disliked the idea of me going out as an adventurer. I had to take advantage of the little magic I learned and learn what my parents didn't teach me, and sneak out of Neverwinter, away from my overprotective family. I haven't seen my mother and father in six years," Andy reminded Xalorn.

"Hmph. Yeah, I remember you telling me this," Xalorn said then placed his hands behind his head, relaxing further.

"You ran away from your home without your parents' permission?" I asked.

Andy frowned at me in annoyance as if I asked a stupid question.

"What do you expect me to do, Jovan? Walk up to my mother and father and say to them: "Hey, Mom, Dad, I've been thinking about this for quite a while, and I want to go on an adventure and see as much of Toril as I possibly can"? No! The orc siege of Illusk 46 years ago scared them so much, they made my life feel like a prison! I had to leave when I could! If I didn't leave, I wouldn't be here right now! I would instead grow up to be something bland and boring," he yelled at me, like I am the cause of his problem, which I don't understand.

"Hey, Andy, I had nothing to do with this, so I don't know why you are mad at me," I said.

"He's just mad that he hasn't found a girl he likes yet," Gorris said smugly.

"_I already have!_" Andy snapped back, vehemently standing up on his feet, and we looked at him with surprised expressions, keeping our eyes focused on his face.

Andy tried to calm his anger down and explain himself, and somehow, he managed. He sighed and sat back down.

"Three years ago, I joined a band of adventurers called the Crossed Swords at Silverymoon. They were on their way to the Dalelands, so I wanted to tag along because I had no set destination in mind, and traveling with a group is more fun than traveling alone. I made friends with everyone very quickly..." he paused there for a second then sighed. "... Especially with this one half-elven woman named Elvira Sundance," he said forlornly.

Xalorn blinked, then looked at me and said: "He never told Gorris and I about this," he said.

We watched as Andy wiped tears from his eyes. "Felicia reminds me so much of her, by appearance and personality..." He said sadly.

"What happened to Elvira?" I asked, hoping that the Andy has the courage to tell us the story no matter how grim it may be.

Andy shook his head, then brushed his wet hands in his hair. "She's dead, Jovan. Dead because of that damn green dragon!"

"What?" Ordmar became confused and curious.

Andy sighed and said: "Two years ago, while we were at the Dalelands searching for excitement and adventure, we heard that a green dragon known by the name of Dretchroyaster, or "Dretch" for short, has been terrorizing a few towns in the Dalelands like Featherdale, Tasseldale and Battledale. We decided to confront the dragon and end his reign of terror, and Elvira and I were determined to help. I never fought a dragon before, but the mere thought of fighting a monster like that was a childhood dream of mine... I eventually learned the hard way that some dreams are not meant to become a reality."

I started to notice that there are some similarities between Andy's backstory and my own.

"You and a group of twenty or thirty fighting a green dragon... I respect ye already, lad, ye got guts of steel, you and all of yer former comrades," Ordmar said in awe.

"When we confronted and fought Dretch, we were winning through the course of the entire fight, a few mages and I used our spells to breach or at least weaken Dretch's protection spells while those who had swords, bows and arrows and crossbows used strategy and tactics to confuse and overwhelm the wyrm. But that wasn't enough for us to win the battle with no casualties. Dretch breathed a cloud of corrosive chlorine gas at Elvira... and she didn't dodge out of the way in time," Andy explained.

I suddenly felt sympathy for Andy, I could relate to his pain in more ways than one.

"I am so sorry, lad," Ordmar said.

Andy nodded. "Dretch didn't stay and fight us to the death. After being severely wounded, he escaped us, and my friends tried to track him down. I did not follow, I instead decided to break ties with the Crossed Swords and leave the Dalelands. When I met Felicia in Icewind Dale one year ago, I noticed that she reminds me of Elvira in many ways, and we became close friends. And I hope to become more than friends with her. But because of YOU, Jovan, that is unlikely to happen!" Andy pointed an accusing finger, dripping with water at me.

"Me?" I asked incredulously. "I have no interest in her, I swear! I lost someone I cared about too, and I have no intention of starting a romantic relationship with anyone," I promised Andy.

He scoffed skeptically, scowling at me. "We'll see about that. Just keep to your room tonight, okay? I got many ways to keep an eye on you," he warned me.

I shook my head and sighed. I have no intention of getting between him and Felicia.

* * *

Later that night, I am in my bed, nearly half asleep. The torch lamp is out, and only the candle sitting atop the small dresser to the right side of the bed is the only source of light in my room. I don't know what Andy is doing in his room, but I know that Felicia, Xalorn, Lysara and Ordmar are asleep, and Gorris is enjoying his private time with Sharra in her bedroom. I couldn't stop thinking about how Andy lost his first love, it is oddly similar to how I lost my wife. When I opened my eyes, I saw nothing but pitch blackness. My heart began pounding, because I clearly recall that I did not blow out the candle. I reached for the candle on the small dresser, and when I felt my hands touch the dresser' surface, I felt nothing atop it, not even the brass cup that held the cylindrical candle wax. I sat up in my bed in alarm, trying to control my breathing, and when I did, I saw the candle light ignite in front of me, between my bed and the door leading outside.

The glowing candle light revealed that the candle is being held by a young girl standing 5 feet away from me and my bed, and the door behind her. She wore a plain brown dress and seems to be seven years old judging by her height, she has shoulder length reddish orange hair, a soft almost round face and hazel eyes. What is very unsettling about her is that she is staring at me with a stoic, serious look on her face, not the carefree, smiling face you would expect to see on a child her age.

"Sidereal translations spell out chaotic events in your future. Beware," she told me.

"... Uh, what? What are you talking about?" I asked her.

Instead of replying, the odd little girl blew out the candle, enveloping me and her in darkness once again.

"Hey, wait!" I exclaimed, stumbling out of my bed in the darkness.

I rushed over to where she is, but I never felt my body bump into her, and I didn't hear her footsteps at all. But I felt my bare left foot step on the hot candle wax on the floor. I got an idea. I reached for the door and flung it open so that the light from outside can filter in my room! Once I did that, I saw that the little girl is nowhere to be seen in my room! It's as if she simply vanished into thin air!

"What...? How...?" I scratched my head in confusion. Did I imagine her or something?

I stepped out of my room, wearing nothing but the clothes that I wear under my body armor, Apsel's dagger in my pocket, and ran down the hallway in search of the strange little girl. I didn't bother calling for the girl because I did not want to wake anyone from their rooms. When I reached the end of the hallway, I paused in between the "T" shaped junction. I could see the exit to the temple down the hall to my right, and the door leading to Geelo's library room, but to my right, I saw the girl again, staring at me down the other end of the hallway.

"The time is now. Turn back to avoid the tidal pull."

"What?" I replied in confusion.

Once again instead of replying, she disappeared down to the branching left corner of the hallway, disappearing out of my sight.

"Wait!" I exclaimed, running down the hallway to catch up with her.

When I reached the end of the hall that branches to the left, I turned left and continued down the small corridor into a rectangular room which is the kitchen and dining room. It is here where I saw the little girl again, standing on a table so she can be clearly seen by me.

"Dark plants are growing in this garden. It is time for your kind to seek safer pastures," she said.

"Will you please tell me what you're talking about?" I asked her desperately.

Once again instead of replying, she got away from me by casting Dimensional Door and disappearing into it, which explains how she left my room without opening the door.

I headed northeast past the dining room to a new corridor, following it until it dead ended at a locked door.

"Damn it," I muttered in frustration as I tried to twist the doorknob.

Giving up, I decided to give up hunting for the odd little girl. When I turned around, I saw the girl staring at me from 8 feet away! I wasn't expecting to see her again, so I jumped and gasped in astonishment, placing my right hand on my chest in an attempt to slow my quickly pounding heart.

"Your moon is eclipsed," the girl said to me. "There are no more shadows, only a corona that illuminates forgotten promises to the black devotees."

None of her words made sense to me!

"Won't you please tell me what is wrong?" I asked, exasperated.

The girl remained silent, instead opening another Dimensional Door and disappearing into it. I sighed in defeat. This girl is trying to give me a cryptic warning, but I have no idea what it all means!

At that moment I saw Lysara in full body armor and gear approaching me from around the bend of the hallway. She blinked in surprise as soon as she saw me.

"Jovan?" She gasped.

"Lysara? What are you doing here? I thought you'd be asleep in your bedroom," I said.

I noticed Lysara carrying her thievery kit strapped around her shoulders, and when she realized I was looking at it, she hid it behind her back and smiled sheepishly.

"... Uh, yeah, I figured since everyone would be asleep around this time, I could just..."

Her voice trailed off when she saw me scowl in disapproval and cross my arms.

"I just want to see what these people have! I won't steal anything they'll miss!" She exclaimed.

"No. Out of the question. I'm taking you back to your room. When Ordmar wakes up, I'll tell him what I caught you trying to do to these people," I said sternly.

"No! Please! don't tell him! I'll be a good girl from now on, I promise!" She pleaded, getting down on her knees.

Before I could grab her and haul her all the way back to her room, we heard someone speaking from the other side of the door next to us. Not the one I tried to open before seeing the strange girl previously, but the door next to it, to my left.

"Hello? Hello? Is anyone out there?" It is a man's voice, and his voice sounds hoarse and raspy, as if he hadn't had anything to drink in three days.

Lysara and I looked at each other, then at the door. We cautiously approached it.

"Who is there?" I called.

"Are you with the snake people?" The man on the other side asked.

Once again Lysara and I looked at each other in confusion.

"What snake people are you talking about? Never mind, we'll get you out of there. Lysara, see if you can unlock this door." I said.

"Got it," Lysara said as she dug into her thievery kit, pulling out some lock picks, then she went to work on the key hole of the door.

It took her two minutes of patience, but she managed to pick the door open. I opened the door, and as soon as I did, a blast of fetid air that is heavy with the scent of dead flesh hit our noses!

"Ughh!" Lysara and I groaned as we pinched our nostrils shut.

Standing before us stood a haggard human man and three of his companions, a half-elf man, and two human women, one dressed in full plate body armor with a mace sheathed to her belt, and the other wearing robes, signifying that she is a sorceress. All four of them smelled rancid mostly because they haven't bathed in a while.

"The snake people! The snake people are everywhere! You must run! Leave this place!" The man exclaimed frantically to us.

"Calm down! What are you talking about?" I asked.

"They tricked us! Fooled us like they did to the caravan guards!" The crazy, terrified man exclaimed, eyes darting left and right and he couldn't keep his body still either, but his companions seemed more calm than him.

"What caravan? What are you talking about? my companions and I come from Kuldahar. Who are you, and what are you doing locked in there?" I asked.

The man calmed down a bit. "Uh...you're from Kuldahar? I suppose you don't look like those white-robed impostors. I am Marchon, from Waterdeep. The half-elf behind me is Iholikan Quinval, the woman in body armor is Cristiana Knight, and the other woman is Reise Coppersky. Listen. It'll only be a matter of time before the snake people come in here and try to kill us all. They thought we were dead..."

I felt my skin tingling with nervousness now. "What's going on? What are you talking about? These people are priests and priestesses of Eldath," Lysara said.

"They are NOT servants of Eldath!" Reise exclaimed. "I should know, I've seen the true holy symbol of Eldath's worshipers before, and it looks nothing like what you see on the banners on the walls!"

"Don't you get it?" Marchon asked impatiently, his face sweating in perspiration and fear. "The people in the white robes- they're not *human*. They're serpents in the form of men. There's no time to explain now!"

"You're right, there isn't! Come on, we need to rescue my companions and warn them!" I exclaimed.

Lysara and I led Marchon, Iholikan, Cristiana and Reise down the hallway until... we ran into Albion, Sharra and two "priests" and two "priestesses", blocking our way into the dining room.

"Ah-ah-ah, you shouldn't have done that," Albion said, wagging a finger at us. "Our master warned you many times over to leave this place while you still could, but now... you have forced our hands."

Behind them, I could see seven other priests have subdued Gorris, Xalorn, Ordmar, Andy and Felicia, forcing them down on their knees.

"This should not have happened. Our master has no quarrel with you, but you have caused much damage to her plans for her vendetta, killing all the lizard men, Talona priests and Presio, who was an important asset in her vendetta against the Old Enemy," Sharra said.

At that moment, Albion, Sharra, Geelo and the other priests and priestesses shed their human forms and revealed themselves to be snake people that look human-like. They are pure-blood Yuan-ti and abomination yuan-ti. The pure-blood breeds are the ones that mostly resemble humans with minor reptile features like snake eyes, forked tongue, and patches of scales on their skin. The abominations of the breed are the ones who are more snake than human, having no legs, just a snake body down below the torso. Albion, Sharra and three other Eldath priest impostors are pure-blood yuan-ti.

Andy shook his head and glanced at Gorris.

"Hey, Gorris, aren't you proud that soon you'll die knowing that you managed to knock boots with a snake woman?" He asked him sarcastically.

Gorris groaned in embarrassment, knowing he'll never live this down if we survive this.

"We haven't lost yet! We can still fight them!" Marchon exclaimed.

He and Cristiana and Iholikan charged at the pure-blood yuan-ti with their weapons drawn! Reise stayed by my side and Lysara's preparing to cast a spell.

"No!" I exclaimed.

Albion, Sharra and the other pure-blood yuan-ti stood their ground and used their psi power to create a globe of darkness. Reise tried to cast the Horror spell on Albion, but it had no effect since pure-blood yuan-ti are innately resistant to magic spells. Lysara, Reise and I then saw a wall of darkness form up, swallowing Albion, Sharra, the other yuan-ti, our companions and even Marchon, Iholikan and Cristiana, who were crazy enough to run into the wall of darkness. Reise, Lysara and I were not spared either.

Neither me nor Lysara and Reise could see what is happening to everyone inside the globe of darkness, but we heard punches and kicks landing and groaning nearby. It sounds like the yuan-ti are beating down Marchon and the others with ease while they are blindly swinging their swords trying to hit something. Then in a matter of seconds, someone knocked me out cold. All I remember is losing consciousness in the darkness suddenly.

* * *

When I woke up, I couldn't see anything clearly, my eye vision started out very blurry, but soon things came into focus. I noticed that I am in some kind of ritual room, and I am not alone, my companions, even Marchon and his companions are with us, our legs bound by rope to prevent us from escaping. We are all down on our knees, and I noticed that I have been on my knees unconscious for quite a while because my joints ached like crazy. I looked down and saw that all of us are sitting on the biggest rug I have ever seen. I looked up and ahead and I saw a giant stone statue of a snake glaring down at us in front of a bright fireplace, which provided most of the light in the room. I looked around and saw all kinds of yuan-ti huddled around us, more than a dozen of them, from purebloods to abominations, and even strange looking snake people that I've never seen before called histachii, brood guards for yuan-ti, they are humans who have unwillingly undergone a ritual to become snake people like the yuan-ti. I heard Marchon and Reise whimpering fearfully, but everyone else was a little calm. I wanted to know why these snake people are leaving us alive, why they haven't killed us yet.

"What is going on? Why haven't you killed us yet?" I asked them.

A yuan-ti abomination, one with red scales on his skin approached me, looming over me and flicked his tongue.

"I am the high ritualist here. The reason why we have left you alive for the time being is because our master wishes it. She would like to speak to you all," he said.

I wanted to ask why, but instead, I held my tongue while he slithered away. It took a few minutes, but their master did eventually arrive, and she is not a yuan-ti. She is that odd little girl I kept seeing before I freed Marchon and his companions!

"You?!" I exclaimed in surprise.

My companions and Marchon and his companions were shocked and confused to see that a little girl is the boss of the yuan-ti.

"What the hell is this?!" Cristiana exclaimed.

"A little lass is the boss of these fiends?! What in the name of Mithral Hall is going on here?!" Ordmar exclaimed.

The little girl took a long look at my companions and I, obviously ignoring Marchon and his companions.

"So. It has come to this, has it? I did not expect a group of natives to interfere with my vendetta. Why have you come here, killing my minions?" She asked us.

"Minions? Do you mean these snake people?" Andy asked her, completely unsure if the lizard men, trolls, the priests of Talona and Presio count as her minions too.

The little girl glared at him in icy disapproval. "They are not "snake people", you ignorant pig. They are yuan-ti, faithful servants and worthy heirs to the kingdom I shall leave behind once my business is finished."

"Why are you building a kingdom if you're going to leave it behind?" Felicia asked.

"Kingdoms need kings. I have no desire to fill that role here. My job is to seek out my old enemy and sow maleficent seeds in the soil of this dying world," the young girl replied.

"Why do ye say our world is dying?" Ordmar asked the girl.

The girl began pacing left and right as she replied to Ordmar's question.

"I say that your world is dying because it is living. All things that live must die. I can see the patterns of life and death in every mouse and rock I come across in this realm. The lifeblood of your world is being eaten by those who would rather spin energy into entropy than channel it. It is only a matter of time."

"What do you mean by "maleficent seeds"?" I asked.

Now she stopped pacing around.

"I am a soldier by day, a farmer by night. The harvest of dead souls provide nutrition for my nation's war. Long after I am gone, I will cradle black wheat in my homeland, grinding it down in the mill of conquest," the girl replied.

I realized at this moment that this is no ordinary young girl at all. Her philosophies are too dark and deep to belong to an actual child.

"Whoa..." Andy said in awe.

"Indeed," the girl smirked at Andy.

"The yuan-ti are your minions, and the lizard men, the priests of Talona and that woman named Presio are your allies, right? Why did you send your minions and allies to abduct the people of Kuldahar?" Gorris asked.

"The lives of the beings from Kuldahar mean little to me," the girl replied casually. "They are necessary ingredients in my recipe for victory. I am cooking a special dish for an old friend. It's served with a saucer called "death", curdling the milk of my enemy's labor."

"Who is your old friend, and why does he, she or it deserve your ire?" Gorris asked.

"My vendetta is none of your concern. Your involvement in this matter is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, a mote of dust floating for a moment in a sea of time," the girl replied indifferently.

"You forget that my people can live for hundreds of years, so your remark about us all being irrelevant is moot," I said.

The girl looked at me and raised her eyebrows, feigning astonished amusement, but she did not widen her eyes at all, maintaining a perfect balance of her stoic demeanor and showing some amusement at my remark.

"Oh my. Hundreds of years. You must feel very proud to be able to leap out of the primordial ooze of godly creation, gasp for a moment in the air, and lie on the shore in the belief that you will not die like all the other fish. All the while, elephants of stone stomp on these celestial shores and you, in your blindness, take no note."

"Oh... I'll take that to mean that you're much more than a few hundred years old," I said, realizing the point she is making.

"Quite," the girl replied with one nod.

It is very clear to us now that this little girl is not a little girl at all.

"But maybe we can help you with your vendetta, if your old enemy is the cause of Kuldahar's problems," Felicia said.

The girl shook her head. "I do not believe so. The forces at work here are factories of truth so foreign to your understanding that if you attempted to observe the machine in its entirety, it would burn your fragile mind into vapor."

"So in other words, we can't handle the truth?" Gorris asked.

"If I must put it into crude terms, then, yes, you are correct," the girl confirmed.

"Could ye at least tell us what your battle against yer old enemy is about?" Ordmar asked.

The little girl began to slowly walk around us on the edges of the rug as she replied.

"It is a war of principles. It is a campaign waged on behalf of fundamental truths, oceans of belief wearing away at basalt pillars of understanding that have held up simple religions and philosophies of worlds like this for millennia," she said.

"What principles are you speaking of, exactly?" Andy asked.

"Freedom and order," the girl replied, pausing in between Andy and Felicia. "On the surface, one of your kind believes that these two principles can coexist without conflict. When one scratches the surface, your skin bleeds philosophy. when one gnaws down to the bone, one finds me."

I could scarcely believe it. How can this little girl have beliefs and philosophies so deep and complex? Even I can barely wrap my head around what she is telling us. I had a hunch that maybe she is not a little girl at all, just someone or something in the form of a seven year old human girl.

"Who are you? What are you?" I asked her.

"I am Yxunomei _(pronounced "Yux-Un-Oh-Mai")_. I am a soldier," she replied firmly.

"Really? Aren't you too young to be a soldier?" Marchon said.

"People on this world are hesitant to attack beings in this form. It causes some sort of emotional pain to do so. That is why I have chosen it," Yxunomei replied.

"Do soldiers typically kill women and children where you are from?" Andy asked her.

Yxunomei shook her head. "The concept of male and female, child and adult, are not only absent from my home, but completely irrelevant in warfare. I care not about physical shells. Souls are the meat of my existence. They are the light that filters down to my eyes under a sea of entropy."

"That sounds... amusing," Andy said.

"Indeed," Yxunomei smirked ever so slightly.

"Okay. So, about the Heartstone Gem," Xalorn said, wanting to cut to the chase.

"The gem is an item with incredible powers of divination. Only those with special relationships with the natural or supernatural may use it. It gives sight beyond sight, even penetrating physical and magical barriers in its revelations. I am not using it to cover up my affairs. I am using it for personal reasons."

"Sorry, we need that gem too. Hand it over to us and we'll leave you and your yuan-ti alone, I swear it," I promised.

"You cannot have it. It is mine. When I am finished with it, my faithful servants will have it. If they fail in their plans, simply take it from them. I have little patience when it comes to.. incompetence," Yxunomei said.

I knew that even if we try to fight our way to the gem, we will die trying, so it might be best to leave this place on somewhat cordial terms with Yxunomei and her yuan-ti while we still can.

"Well, okay, we will leave you to your vendetta and come back for the gem next time," I said.

I was hoping that the bindings on our legs would be loosened, but that, unfortunately for us, did not happen. Yxunomei glared at us, a cold, unsettling glare that made my heart pound nervously, and I'm sure everyone else felt the same way.

"You are not leaving. None of you are," she said firmly. "I am going to take some small satisfaction in making you _pay_ for your damage to my plans. Pray that your souls are prepared."

Then she began to reveal her true form. Ordmar and Reise gasped on horror when they saw Yxunomei's true form.

"By Moradin's hammer...! She's a marilith!" Ordmar exclaimed.

From what little I recently learned about the demons of the Abyss after my adventures in Icewind Dale, mariliths are feminine demons that sort of resemble yuan-ti abominations, but are not really related to them or the pure-blood breed. As a marilith, Yxunomei is five feet taller than her human girl form, making her nine feet tall and four inches, and she has six arms, each of her wrists having a gold bracelet on them, and she has the lower body of a snake, even though the tan skin of her upper body have absolutely no patches of scales. And she wore absolutely no clothing, not even a shirt, dethma or brassiere to conceal or at least partially conceal her naked breasts, and she wore some kind of small headdress over her head and her red hair is tied to a long ponytail.

Seconds after her transformation, I started to feel strange. Then, the world around me slowly began to grow bigger. And it wasn't just me, either, the world grew bigger around me, my companions, Marchon and his companions!

"Uh, Jovan..." Andy said nervously.

"What's going on?" I looked over to him.

"One of the yuan-ti mages cast a spell on us. And if you think the room and the yuan-ti are getting bigger, it is not them. It is us. WE are getting smaller!" He exclaimed.

This is bad. One of the yuan-ti mages hit us all with a spell called Reduce, which is known to shrink objects and people!

"Hey, there's nothing terrible about this," Gorris tried to cheerfully reassure us. They're just shrinking us to the size of roaches. What could possibly be terrible about that?"

As if on cue, we looked up to see Yxunomei looming over us. At our current size, she appears to be 30 feet tall, maybe more than that! Crouching down on her snake-like body, she reached down at us with her lower left hand and picked up Iholikan!

"Nooooo!" Iholikan cried out in terror as Yxunomei lifted him up and passed him up to her middle left hand.

At that moment I realized what she plans to do with him. And that knowledge filled my heart with more dread.

"_Help! Help me please!_" Iholikan cried out.

"This can't be happening! This can't be happening...!" Marchon stammered frantically.

When Iholikan was passed up to Yxunomei's upper left hand, she lifted her head up towards the ceiling, positioned her upper left hand 13 inches above her face and opened her mouth wide. It is no mystery of how extremely terrified Iholikan Quinval is at this moment.

"Oh... no..." Gorris muttered, getting this feeling that his heart is sinking further down into his chest.

Then Yxunomei's fingers released Iholikan and he fell down towards the marilith's gaping maw, shouting "NOOOO!" as he fell.

Though I was too terrified for my brain to analyze anything, I couldn't help noticing that Yxunomei didn't chew Iholikan when he fell into her mouth, instead, she swallowed him whole. I then realized that she is only demonstrating how she wants to make my companions and I pay for sabotaging her plans for revenge against this mysterious adversary of hers. She intends on devouring us whole, not because she is hungry, but because being digested alive is one of the many slow and painful ways to die. She wants us to suffer a death worse than getting stabbed by a sword or shot by an arrow, and for some reason, she seems to believe that injecting yuan-ti venom into our bodies is too good for us, but being slowly burned by her stomach acids is a better punishment. Maybe it is because we would be trapped in a small, dark, fleshy prison with no chance of escaping alive while the acids slowly melt our skin, flesh and bones away that makes the punishment more suitable.

"Andy... if you have memorized any useful spells that will get us out of this mess, I suggest you use it now," I said, trying to calm my shot nerves.

"I did know a spell that can dispel the effects of the magic that shrunk us, but... I forgotten how to cast it," Andy said nervously.

"Well, remember it fast, because we need it now!" I whispered harshly to him.

Then at that moment, I felt myself being lifted up off the ground.

Thinking quickly, Andy scooted his way over to Reise and asked her: "Don't you remember how to cast the spell Dispel Magic? We need it now!"

Reise blinked and looked at Andy with confused eyes. "Which one, targeted dispel or area dispel?" She asked him.

Andy gritted his teeth in frustration. "Area dispel, now hurry up and remind me how to cast it!"

At that moment, I am high above ground, in the palm of Yxunomei's middle left hand, and then I felt her upper left hand grab me by my waist. Digging into my pocket for something that will help me escape, I felt Apsel's dagger in my right pocket. I had nearly forgotten that I left my body armor and weapons in my room, but took Apsel's scrimshaw carving dagger with me. At that moment I am held suspended 13 inches above Yxunomei's open mouth. Staring down into the dark opening lined with white teeth, barely seeing her tonsils in the near pitch blackness of her mouth is terrifying. I prayed, hoping that Andy remembered how to cast Dispel Magic, because I need it now.

"Thanks, I remember now!" Andy said happily to Reise, then he immediately began to work on casting the spell.

I'm so glad that Yxunomei's minions did not have the foresight to bind our hands by rope, otherwise casting Dispel Magic would be impossible for Andy because he needs to move his arms in certain ways while speaking the activation spell words to cast it. Then I felt the marilith's fingers release me, and I started falling down towards Yxunomei's open mouth. When that happened, Andy completed casting the spell, we started to grow back to our normal size with the Reduce spell neutralized. By the time I fell 5 inches close to her mouth, my body grew too big to fall in unless I fell in head or legs first. My arms and legs caught the the edges of her lips and I stopped myself from falling in, and I could feel and smell the marilith's hot, steamy breath on my face.

I only had a couple seconds before she realized something went wrong, so responding quickly, I took Apsel's dagger and stabbed at Yxunomei's left eye. I couldn't stab directly into her left eye, I wasn't big enough to reach that high yet, the dagger only pierced her lower eyelid, but the effect I was hoping for still happened. She shrieked in pain and by the time she placed both her left and right upper hands over her face, I jumped down toward her chest, sliding down towards the curve of her breasts as I steadily grew bigger, and when I started to slide down the soft surface of her left bosom, I jumped into the air, flailing my arms and legs in midair hoping that I would grow back to my normal size in time so that my fall to the floor won't be life threatening.

Meanwhile Yxunomei's minions were confused at what is going on, and taking advantage of the confusion, my companions and Marchon and his companions, attacked the yuan-ti even though they were unarmed, with no weapons. Xalorn managed to disarm one yuan-ti abomination by breaking his arm, taking his sword and stabbing him in the head with his own sword. Gorris, Ordmar and Marchon attacked yuan-ti pure-bloods with their fists, and throwing them at other yuan-ti or down to the ground.

I hit the ground in my normal size just in time, me and Apsel's dagger in my right hand back to our normal size, including my companions and everyone else except Iholikan. I hoped that Yxunomei would die by the time Andy cast Dispel Magic, causing Iholikan in her stomach to grow back to his normal size and cause her body to explode, but that did not happen unfortunately, Iholkan remained small even after Dispel Magic was cast, possibly because mariliths are naturally resistant to magic spells, shielding him from the effects of the spell.

Ahead of me I saw everyone fighting Yxunomei's minions with and without weapons. By the time I turned around to see if Yxunomei is still writhing in pain, I instead spotted her coming at me with three swords in her hands, one in her upper right hand, another in her middle left hand and a wickedly sharp looking scimitar with barbed edges on the blade in her lower right hand. Her left eye is closed shut and bleeding profusely, a small stream of blood running down the left side of her cheek, but she still had one good eye left, and the loss of her left eye didn't stop her from charging at me, teeth bared like an enraged winter wolf and right almond eye blazing with rage.

Instead of standing my ground, I dodged aside, rolling left, and the sword in Yxunomei's upper right hand slashed down at where I once stood, the blade missing me by inches. When I rolled to my feet, I jumped away again, instinctively sensing that Yxunomei would cut me down by the time I tried to stand up and make a move. I was right. If I didn't jump away again, she would have sliced me in half with her scimitar.

Now that I am at a safe distance from Yxunomei, I hopped towards the big snake statue standing in front of the large fireplace, and Yxunomei gave chase. I hid behind the statue's body, waiting for Yxunomei to come to me and make a move. If I had at least my crossbow or long sword with me, this fight against her would be a little easier. But all I have are my clothes and Apsel's dagger, so I must play this fight smart and safe, especially with my legs still bound together by rope.

Once she got close to me, she attempted to stab at my head with one of her swords, but I dodged away, jumping further back towards the fireplace until I could feel the heat burning at my back. Yxunomei cautiously slithered towards me, and I winced as I felt the skin of my body exposed to the fire's heat sting. When she attempted to attack me again, I jumped away, rolling like a wheel and standing up on my bound legs. When I turned around, I saw that she is coming at me again, her body directly positioned in front of the fire. Taking advantage of this, I held the blade of the dagger at the tip of my fingers. I have no experience throwing knives or daggers, but I needed to do this because getting into melee combat against Yxunomei with just a dagger is a bad idea.

I threw the knife before she could get 6 feet close to me, and the dagger's blade pierced Yxunomei's skin just 3 inches under her right collarbone. She tried to defect my spinning dagger with her swords, but somehow she got unlucky, parrying too late, and she ended up getting stunned by the impact. I knew that I only have one shot at this, so I took it. I hopped towards Yxunomei, lowered my head like a bull when I came less than 4 feet close to her, then I jumped at her, headbutting her in the chest. The force of my attack caused her to fall back into the fireplace. The only part of her body that did not fall into the fire is her snake tail. She shrieked and wailed loudly as the fire cooked her skin, the snake part of her body whipping around wildly, hitting my legs, but not doing any life threatening harm to my legs, though.

In 8 seconds, her thrashing ended, then I crouched down, grabbed her snake tail and pulled her upper body out of the fire. Her skin is charred and cooked, and when I bent down to pull Apsel's dagger out of her chest, I felt sharp heat on my fingers and I immediately retracted my arm because the dagger's handle is hot, so I decided to wait a while to retrieve my dagger. By the time I defeated Yxunomei, my companions and Marchon ans his surviving companions killed all the yuan-ti.

A few minutes later, after retrieving my dagger, we went into the back room of the ritual room and found the Heartstone Gem sitting on two mounds of pillows on a pedestal. It looks more like an average brown gem than a special gem with divination powers, but appearances are deceiving. After we got the gem, my companions and I returned to our rooms, got dressed into our body armor, took our equipment and weapons and left Dragon's Eyes with Marchon and his companions back to Kuldahar.

* * *

When we returned to Kuldahar later on the night of the second day, we saw something we did not expect to see upon our return. Dozens of orogs clad in body armor patrolling the town and terrorizing people!

"What the?!" Andy looked around in shock.

"What is going on here?!" Cristiana exclaimed.

"Attack now, questions later!" Xalorn said and we engaged every orog we came across in battle and cut them down, or shot them down.

Orogs are Underdark dwelling orcs. I don't know for sure, but since we are in the Spine of the World, these orogs must be descendants of the Skullbiter Tribe, a tribe of mountain orcs that existed many millennia ago, in a time long before Netheril fell. Why they are attacking Kuldahar now is beyond me. We went into every house and building to make sure we didn't miss any orogs, and when we began to check on Arundel's shrine, the last place we need to check, Nate came up to us.

"It's you guys! Where have you been?" He asked us by way of greeting.

"Arundel sent us out to look for the Heartstone Gem, and we are back with it. Where did these monsters come from?" Gorris asked him.

"I was up in my lookout post when it happened. They came out of the mountains and started attacking the town... a bunch of scary-looking orcs led by a man in gray robes."

I frowned in concern. "Tell us about the man in gray. Who was he?" I asked Nate.

Nate shrugged. "I don't know... I've never seen him around here before. I watched him go into Arundel's house while the monsters attacked the town. I hope Arundel is all right..."

"We'll go check on him. Stay out of trouble," I warned him, then we approached the door to Arundel's home, Marchon and the others remained outside and left.

As soon as we came in Arundel's house, we saw Arundel where we always find him, sitting in a chair near the wooden sphere. His eyes widened and he smiled as he stood up.

"Thank Silvanus you have returned! Evil is afoot in Kuldahar. Strange orcs prowl through town, killing our townspeople! I must ask you... have you found the source of evil in Dragon's Eye?" He asked us.

"Perhaps," I replied. "A strange "woman" named Yxunomei was raising an army of trolls, lizard men, followers of Talona, yuan-ti and undead. We defeated her and many of her minions."

For some strange reason, Arundel smiled at that. What I also find strange is Arundel didn't ask about the Heartstone Gem, or informed us that a visitor in gray clothing came into his house.

"Excellent. Thank you for destroying my ancient enemy. I couldn't have planned this better myself," he said.

"Ancient enemy? Arundel, what are you talking about?" Lysara asked.

"Arundel" grinned. "You have been unwitting pawns in the grand scheme of things. You have saved this town from immediate destruction, but it is all for naught. In a few months, Kuldahar will be frozen solid in snow. And there is nothing you can do about it."

I pulled my crossbow out and aimed it at the fake Arundel.

"Who are you?" I asked him.

"Arundel" didn't flinch at all, he remained calm and composed, still smirking.

"I am sure Yxunomei must have explained it to you. She and I have been foes for centuries. Thanks to you, the vendetta has ended," the fake Arundel replied.

"She told us nothing about you, not even your name or what you really are," Gorris said.

"And what have you done with the real Arundel?" Felicia demanded.

"Arundel is bleeding out his life upstairs. Now I can begin building my forces in this world without fear," the fake Arundel said, his grinning face darkening.

"No, really... who are you?" I asked him once again.

"Who am I?" "Arundel" asked, placing both hands on his chest feigning mock confusion at my question. "Why, I am just a simple priest, spreading the gospel of suffering to the masses. Soon, you will all know the litany of our faith. I'd start praying now, if I were you. Farewell."

Then fake "Arundel" cast Dimensional Door and disappeared into it, escaping to who knows where.

"Arundel is upstairs! Go!" I exclaimed.

We ran up the stairs until we found Arundel in his bedroom laying on his bed, his hands on his chest, his bed sheets soaked with blood.

"Arundel!" We exclaimed.

Hearing our voices, he coughed and turned his head to look at us.

"At last... I feared I could not hold on any longer..." He coughed. "Th-the last of my life has almost left my body... and... soon I shall be restored to the balance."

"What happened here?" I asked.

"A man, but not a man... he wore my skin like a cloak, my face like a mask, he came suddenly in the night and struck me down... Nature itself seemed to recoil from him- even with the strength of the Great Oak bolstering me, i was unable to stop him. He touched me once... his hands as blood, and I felt... *cough*... my life begin to drain away."

"Arundel, hold on- we still might be able to help y-"

"No, only the hope that you would return has kept my body alive. You... must take the Heartstone Gem to... the elven fortress of the Severed Hand."

"Severed Hand? Why there?" Ordmar asked.

"The Severed Hand is the prison of Larrel, one of the last of the elven archmages... he is the only one left who can use the Heartstone Gem... if he still lives."

"All right. Where is the Severed Hand?" I asked, hoping Arundel has time to tell us what we need to know before he passes on.

"It is to the south of Kuldahar- nature will guide you... enough of my power remains that I may do that. Now... I must go. Serve the balance. Protect Kuldahar from... this... evil..." After he said that last word, he let out a final gasp and his body became lifeless.

We watched his body in complete silence for a few minutes. We lost many people on our journey to find the evil that plagues Kuldahar. First we lost Hrothgar and our expedition, and now Arundel.

"Farewell, Arundel. We will see you avenged," I promised him.


	6. Chapter 6 Severed Connections

Not long after we rescued the citizens of Kuldahar from an orog assault led by a man who disguised himself as Arundel and murdered the real Arundel and escaped, believing that all hope of us saving this village is lost, our welcome in Kuldahar gradually grew more and more sour. In addition to the people we rescued from Dragon's Eye, the overall population of Kuldahar is over 67 people, and because several people died in the orog attack, the population is now 52. Friends and family members had been killed, and it didn't take long for everyone to find out that Arundel had been slain too, and to make matters worse, we were held responsible for every death here. My companions and I never fully grasped how badly the people of Kuldahar disliked us until we went to the Root Cellar tavern after we attended the funeral ceremony for Arundel and the fifteen people who were killed by the impostor Arundel's orogs.

As soon as we stepped into the tavern, the entire room fell eerily silent, and everyone in the tavern glared at us hatefully. The silence and the death stares made us feel very uncomfortable. I wanted to say something to everyone, but I didn't know what to say. What could I possibly say? As I struggled to think of what to say, Felicia fearlessly stepped forward past me, heading for the bar on the other side of the room. Then Gorris followed, then Andy, then Ordmar, Xalorn and Lysara. I followed from the rear. We got seated at the bar where barkeep Whitcomb, a 32 year old tall and lanky human man with short hair and boyish face despite his trimmed mustache and horizontal rectangular beard on his chin, stood behind the bar casually cleaning a cup with a white rag, and he didn't even bother to look at us, as if he is trying to ignore us. I looked over at Gorris and he looked back at me in confusion. Then he turned his attention to Whitcomb who is still ignoring us, cleaning cups and flagons.

"Hey, uh... Whit, do you know we are here?" Gorris asked him.

Gorris and Xalorn knew Whitcomb better than any of us, so that's the nickname they have given him. Unfortunately, Whitcomb didn't reply, he had his back still turned to us, placing the cups, mugs and flagons he cleaned back into a cabinet.

"Hey, Whit, it's us! You got hungry and thirsty customers here!" Xalorn exclaimed impatiently.

At that moment, Whitcomb turned to face us with hateful fire in his eyes.

"Do I look like I give a damn?" He asked us so curtly my heart felt like it jumped out my chest.

None of us replied to that question. When Whitcomb realized that none of us would answer that, he then said something to us that I never expected him to say.

"Get out. You are not welcome here anymore."

We were shocked beyond disbelief.

"Wha... What?" Lysara's mouth dropped open.

"You're joking. Tell me you're joking," Andy slowly shook his head in denial while smiling to shake off the uneasy feeling.

"Yeah, you heard me. Get out. Don't make me repeat myself," Whitcomb said in all seriousness.

Gorris shook his head in disbelief and looked into Whitcomb's eyes sadly.

"Come on, Whit. We're hungry and thirsty after such a long trip back from that damned cavern full of lizard men, trolls and yuan-ti. Could you at least give us some frost wine and a cheese sandwich?" Gorris pleaded.

Whitcomb shook his head.

"Like I said before. I. Don't. Give a. Damn. Now get out of here, all of you, and don't even think about coming back. This village would be much safer without you lot stirring up trouble. Arundel would still be alive if it weren't for you."

Ordmar leaned across the bar at Whitcomb.

"Do ye really believe that?" He asked him.

In response, Whitcomb leaned towards Ordmar until his nose came 6 inches close to touching Ordmar's nose.

"I believe it with every fiber of my being," Whitcomb said in a harsh whisper.

I decided that it would be best for us to leave this tavern without making a scene. I was the first to stand up out of my chair.

"Let's go," I sullenly told my companions.

Everyone reluctantly climbed out of their chairs and followed me out towards the door. Xalorn seemed the most reluctant though. He looked as if he is trying his best to suppress his anger but is failing; his arm muscles looked more and more tense each second. Gorris somehow knew that Xalorn is angry at the unnecessary harsh treatment Whitcomb has given us, so he stood by Xalorn as we walked towards the door. As we approached the exit, Xalorn heard the whispers of the tavern visitors around us. He couldn't clearly hear what they were saying, but he knew they were saying something about us, how we try to do good for the town but all we bring is misery, which is apparently all a lie, but they don't know that. However, hearing those whispers caused Xalorn's anger to reach a boiling point. Suddenly he turned to face the bar and Whitcomb and say:

"No! I'm not walking away like this!" He pointed an accusing finger at Whitcomb. "We have spent the past few days searching for the evil that threatens this little village of yours. We came back from Dragon's Eye with some villagers who were held captive there, and what do we get when we return? A "thank you"? No! Instead, we get blamed for an attack unrelated to the lizard men and yuan-ti that had kidnapped them!"

"It's because of _you_ that we are being attacked!" a middle aged man exclaimed somewhere behind Felicia exclaimed.

Xalorn suddenly lost his temper, grabbed an empty chair next to him and threw the chair at a wall with an angry yell, causing everyone in the tavern to scream and yell in panic. Whitcomb crouched behind the bar and immediately stood back up pointing two loaded handheld crossbows pointing at Xalorn. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger of the handheld crossbow in his left hand, and the bolt flew at Xalorn, striking him in the shoulder before he could continue his rampage.

Xalorn cried out in pain and sank to his knees.

"Xalorn!" Gorris cried out in surprise, checking his wound. The bolt didn't sink deep into his skin, but if Whitcomb shot him with a heavy crossbow, something that fires a bolt with much more force, then the bolt would sink too deep for Gorris or anyone else to pull out by finger.

"That one was just a warning shot," Whitcomb said after lowering his left arm, but still pointing the other crossbow in his right hand that he hadn't fired yet at Xalorn. "This next one will go into your head if you don't get out of here."

Gorris stood between Xalorn and Whitcomb pointing his handheld crossbow.

"Okay, okay! Don't shoot! We'll leave!" Gorris exclaimed while he and I helped Xalorn stand up on his feet, and help him walk out of the tavern.

Whitcomb didn't lower his right hand until we stepped out the tavern with Xalorn. After we stepped outside, Gorris groaned in frustration, sank to his knees and pounded the ground hard with his right fist.

"_What did we do to deserve this?!_" He exclaimed angrily.

"Nothing, that's the problem," Andy stated, kneeling down next to Gorris. "These people are afraid of what might come next, and because of their fear, they are willing to cast blame on anyone."

"We try to do some good for the village, and then something unexpected happens. If the village keeps treating us like this, turning us down when we ask to buy food or supplies, we will be completely unprepared for the journey to Severed Hand," Gorris said forlornly.

"But who is willing to help us in a town that has become mildly hostile towards us?" Lysara wondered aloud.

"I am," a voice behind us suddenly said.

We turned around and saw a strong human man with dirty brown hair wearing the clothes and apron of a blacksmith standing in front of the door to the Root Cellar tavern, suggesting that he stepped outside the tavern to talk to us.

"Who are you?" I asked casually.

"My name is Conlan. I am the father of Sheemish, one of the boys you rescued from the caverns of Dragon's Eye. I saw what happened to you all back in the tavern. I understand your plight- none of you deserve this treatment, my son spoke very highly of you, as did everyone else you rescued before the giant-kin attacked the village."

I felt relieved to know that not everyone in town blames us for the attack, they are just overruled by the majority of people who do blame us.

"We did the best we could, Conlan. None of us anticipated that the village would be attacked," Ordmar said humbly.

"I know. I understand that soon you will be on your way out of the village. Please, come to my house, eat, drink and rest before you leave again," Conlan offered.

We never expected to hear an offer like that, but when we did, we did not refuse.

"Besides, I'm sure Sheemish would love to meet his heroes once again," Conlan added with a smile.

Andy let out a relieved laugh. "How could we possibly say no to that?" He said.

* * *

Later, he led us to his home, which is not far from the Root Cellar tavern at all, it is actually behind it on higher ground, closer to the big tree that gives the entire village warmth... for the time being. As soon as Conlan brought us into his house, Sheemish eagerly greeted him, me and my party into the house, and Conlan offered to have dinner with us. Afterwards, we sat at the dinner table, which is a large wooden rectangular table with four legs. The only thing Conlan and Sheemish had for dinner is porridge, which is the only food they can eat because the harsh, unpredictable weather outside Kuldahar ruined chances of growing crops impossible. Judging by the way Andy looks down at his bowl of porridge with a blank look on his face tells me that he has never eaten porridge before, and probably is afraid of tasting it. I've never eaten porridge before neither, but I'm not afraid of tasting it, and I liked it.

"Thank you for taking us in when no one else would, Conlan," Felicia thanked Conlan before placing a spoonful of porridge into her mouth.

Conlan smiled sincerely and nodded. "It's the least I can do, Felicia. Besides, I wanted to thank all of you in some way for finding my boy for me. I had almost given up hope. I nearly fell out of my chair when he came bouncing through the door, telling tales of heroes and monsters with nary a scratch on him. Tell me, please, what happened?"

"Why do ye ask?" Ordmar asked after wiping his beard with a napkin when some of his porridge dripped down to his beard.

"I want to hear the tale of how you rescued everyone from your point of view," Conlan said.

I looked over at Andy, and he looked at me.

"Don't look at me, you tell him," Andy suggested to me before drinking a cup of water.

Sighing while shaking my head conceding defeat, I gave in and began to tell Conlan the story. I told him about the lizard men, the yuan-ti, Yxunomei, and her intention to convert the kidnapped people into histachii to form an army against an old rival of hers, whoever that may be. After I finished telling Conlan everything, he rubbed his chin in thought, thinking about the information I gave him.

"Hmm... There seems to be more than one evil at work here, and apparently they are not allies. You and your party, Jovan, have only defeated one of those evils to force the hand of the other one, which may be the evil you are searching for," he said.

"What do you mean?" Xalorn asked after swallowing a mouth full of porridge.

"I mean that whoever slayed Arundel and impersonated him when you arrived must be the "Old Enemy" this Yux-un... Yux... Yux-un-o-may has been referring to," Conlan clarified.

Felicia began nodding slowly. "That makes sense. He did thank us for killing Yxunomei," she said, thinking over the possibility of it.

"Whoever he is, we must find him," I declared.

"We won't ever know where to find him if this Larrel is dead by the time we reach Severed Hand," Andy said pessimistically.

"Don't talk like that, Andy! We will save this town and stop the one who killed Arundel, whoever he is," I said.

Andy didn't seem convinced. He kept his head lowered towards the table's surface as if in shame, staring into what porridge is left in his bowl.

"...There is a lot riding on our shoulders, Jovan," he lowered his voice nearly to a whisper. "I don't think we will succeed."

"Andy, if you keep talking like that, we will never succeed. Keep your chin up and hope for the best, all right? That's all that we can do," Felicia consoled him.

"I know you will succeed!" Sheemish exclaimed with enthusiasm.

Then we looked at him, including Conlan.

"I've seen what you guys can do!" He said, then he made punching motions, jabbing at the air with his arms. "Bam, bam, bam!" Then he finished his combo of jabs with an uppercut with his right arm, almost knocking over his bowl of porridge. "WHAM! "How'd you like that, mister giant?" "Raaarrr! Not very much!" Ha ha ha ha! Get it?"

Silence filled the house for a couple seconds, then Xalorn burst out laughing.

"I like you, kid! You got spunk!" Xalorn commended Sheemish, and I got the feeling that if he were sitting near Sheemish instead of across the table, he would give him a pat on the back.

Sheemish nodded in approval, smiling, and I noticed that Andy cracked a small smile too.

"I think what my son means to say is that he believes in all of you," Conlan stated, then he looked straight at Andy. "I believe in you too, even if no one else in this town does. Do you really want to let us down, Andy?" He asked.

Andy blinked in surprise. He had never been admired by anyone before, so he was slow to say yes or no. All he could do is slowly stammer: "I... I... I'm..."

I could tell he is trying his hardest to wipe away his doubts and fears, and I knew he is succeeding beecause he smiled at both Conlan and Sheemish.

"I'll do the best I can," he finally said, forcing a smile.

Conlan snapped his fingers in approval. "That's the spirit. Now, as for where you all will rest, I don't have a guest room, but one of you can sleep on the couch while the rest of you can sleep on the floor with your bedrolls. At least you will have a roof over your heads."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Conlan, I really appreciate it," I thanked him, shaking his hand.

A few hours later, we fell asleep in the living room. Felicia slept on the couch while the rest of us slept in our bedrolls on the floor, and Conlan and Sheemish were asleep in their bedrooms.

* * *

We left Kuldahar early in the morning after buying what food, drinks and equipment we needed from Conlan. We headed south, which were Arundel's instructions before his passing. For the first three days I wondered what he meant by nature will guide us, because all we moved through is snow covered terrain. But all that changed a day later. On the afternoon of the fourth day since we left Kuldahar, we eventually found ourselves walking on grass. Can you believe it? There is a part of the Spine of the World that is not affected by the strange winter weather that affects Kuldahar in what should be right now a summer season setting. This large plot of grasslands is known as the Fields of Slaughter. I don't know why such a beautiful landscape is given that name, but that's what I heard that it is called. My companions and I were surprised to be walking through grass instead of snow- it felt like it has been years since our boots walked upon grass instead of snow. A few more days later, our eyes caught sight of a tower several miles ahead of us.

That tower is the Severed Hand. True to its name, the Severed Hand is a decrepit but large fortress at the base of the Spine of the World mountains on the other end of the Fields of Slaughter miles away from Kuldahar, that looks like a hand jutting out of the ground with four towers in the shape of three fingers and a thumb, but there is no tower in the shape of the index finger, or at least there was. The tower that should be like the index finger had been destroyed, but the rubble remains suspended in thin air. Just by looking at the tower I can tell that it belongs to, or used to belong to elves. As we neared closer to the old fortress, it became more obvious that this fortress has been abandoned for a long time. Not long by elf standards, possibly 200 or 300 years or a bit more, and I had fears that Arundel had been misinformed about the current state of the Severed Hand, that Larrel might not be among the living anymore, but I kept my fears to myself though. But if my fears are true and Larrel is no longer alive, then Kuldahar and everyone living there is doomed to die in a couple months, and there will be nothing that we will be able to do about it, the Heartstone Gem would be nothing more than a useless tool for us. We saw a drawbridge up ahead, and fortunately it is down, enabling us to cross over the moat surrounding the fortress, but the strange thing is we noticed that the thick chains that were supposed to hold the drawbridge are broken and rusted.

"I don't like the looks of this place," Andy said warily.

"You an' me both, lad," Ordmar nodded in agreement, also feeling a bit anxious.

We cautiously approached the bridge, and I was the first to step on the drawbridge, and as soon as I did, I looked ahead and saw something emerge from the front entrance that made me freeze up.

"Stop! Don't move!" I commanded to my companions, pulling out my crossbow and aiming at an undead creature lumbering towards us.

The creature is a baelnorn lich, an undead animated skeleton that used to be an eladrin, or high elf when it still had its organs and skin. I could clearly see that his skin, flesh, eyes and vital organs have long completely decayed from his body, but his rotten, dirty and tattered clothes hung on to his bones. We backed away, Lysara and I still trained our ranged weapons on him, but then I noticed that a squirrel bravely marched towards the drawbridge, towards the undead man. We backed away until we stood five feet away from the undead man and the drawbridge, but the squirrel, for some odd reason, did not run away.

"_A dwarf dares to set foot here?" _The skeletal creature hissed, speaking the human language fluently and angrily.

I glanced back at Ordmar, and saw this his skin looked almost pale with fear his body is shivering as if he were cold, and I wasn't the only one who noticed, Gorris, Xalorn, Andy, Lysara and Felicia noticed Ordmar's strange reaction too.

"_Have you come to push the dagger further into our backs?" _The skeletal elf man sneered in the dwarf language very fluently, much to my surprise.

As I kept my crossbow aimed at the undead elf man, I realized that he is talking to the squirrel, not Ordmar, but for some reason, Ordmar is petrified with fear.

"_We... We didnae do it... We-we-we didnae do it..._" I heard Ordmar stammer fearfully.

I couldn't understand why Ordmar is so terrified. What did he mean by "we did not do it"?

"_Speak for yourself!" _the undead elf man snapped at the squirrel speaking Common this time, but the squirrel bravely looked up at him.

I heard Ordmar yelp in fear and continue stammering, saying: "_It's not what ye think! It's n-n-n-not what y-y-y-ye think!_"

"By the gods, man! What in the Nine Hells is wrong with you?" I heard Gorris asked him.

"_Do you deny the destruction wrought by your treacherous kind?_" The elf man berated the squirrel.

Once again Ordmar thought the undead man was talking to him.

"_We didnae betray ye! I swear upon Moradin's hammer!" _He wailed.

"_I will not tolerate your filthy presence anymore!_" The undead man exclaimed to the squirrel, and only then did the squirrel run away.

We stood aside as we watched it run towards the stumps of chopped trees on the side of the trail leading towards the Severed Hand's drawbridge, and the undead man began casting a spell, moving his bony arms and chanting the words to cast the spell, and in a matter of seconds, he threw a fireball at the squirrel, incinerating it and setting a few tree stumps near it on fire.

I was in shock. Why did the undead man kill a harmless squirrel? And why did he mistake it as a dwarf?

The undead man huffed, then turned around and headed for the entrance into the Severed Hand fortress beyond the drawbridge.

"_Wretched thing_," I heard the undead man mutter in the elf language under his breath as he stormed off into the fortress and shut the doors behind him.

So whoever this undead elf man is, he is fluent in two foreign languages, the human and dwarf tongue, yet he clearly hates dwarves. Why?

I turned around and looked at Ordmar, and so did everyone else.

"Are you alright, old dwarf?" Gorris asked him.

Odrmar is clearly still petrified with fear, his eyes wide in shock and unblinking.

"_We-we should not have come here... They have not forgotten..." _He said fearfully.

"Forgotten what? Speak sensibly, man!" Xalorn exclaimed.

"..._It's been nary 350 years and they still haven't forgiven us... Why?_" Ordmar wept.

"What happened here?" Andy questioned the distraught dwarf.

Ordmar decided not to reply, his eyes just simply scanned the fortress, not saying a word.

"Whatever your reasons are for being afraid of this place, we must go in and find Larrel," I said and began to head for the drawbridge.

"NO!" Ordmar exclaimed, suddenly jumping in front of me.

I don't know if Ordmar has become insane as the undead man, or if there is something inside the fortress he does not want us to see.

"Ordmar! What the hell is the matter with you?!" I exclaimed in exasperation.

"Before I let ye go in here, ye must answer me question."

"What?! We don't have time for this!"

"_Answer me durned question, blasted elf!_" Ordmar snapped back. "Do ye trust dwarves?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "I've never known dwarves to be treacherous, but I trust _YOU, _Ordmar, but your irrational behavior is making me question my trust."

"Listen to me, boy. Whatever ye see in there, whatever ye hear an feel, donnae let it muddle your opinion about us dwarves, ye hear me?" Ordmar made me swear.

"I promise, Ordmar, I promise. Can we go in now? Time is running short," I replied offhandedly.

Then we walked across the drawbridge and entered the fortress through its open large wooden doors, which for some odd reason is riddled with old arrows stuck into the wood.

* * *

We found ourselves in what seems to be a large abandoned greeting hall. There are a few open holes in the stone tile floor around us, revealing grids of metal bars. To our immediate left and right is are two old but beautiful statues of elven warriors clad in body armor created by elven artists, far as I can tell. The head of the statue to the left is decapitated, though, by who, I had no idea. There are several lit torch lamps around the greeting hall, brightening the place, which means Andy does not need to use his Light cantrip after all. As we moved forward carefully, being careful not to fall into any of the holes in the floor, we heard shouts coming our way. War cries. We readied our weapons, waiting for a potential attacker to arrive.

As I looked around, I saw nearly transparent, but visible ghostly images of elven warriors standing at the ready just 10 feet in front of us. The war cries became louder, and Xalorn recognized them as orc war cries.

"I hear orcs..." Xalorn said, holding his morningstar and shield tightly, scanning the area with his eyes cautiously. "They're out for blood," he added.

Before I could reply, I saw a door several feet away to our left swing open and then more than a dozen orc warrior ghosts spilled out from the room they came from, charging at the elf ghosts with their spears, halberds and war axes ready to strike.

"Attack!" The ghost of the elf commander exclaimed in Elvish.

Then almost immediately, the archers opened fire on the orcs. some of the ghostly arrows dropped some orcs, others missed. For the orcs who got hit, I noticed that their bodies collapsed in perfect alignment with their fully decayed corpses on the floor. Orc shamans stayed behind, casting supportive spells on fellow orcs and harmful spells on the elves while their own mages cast support spells on their fellow elves. I then realized that these ghosts must be repetitively acting out a war that passed many, many years ago. The orcs who didn't get hit by arrows met with the elf warriors armed with melee weapons and a bloody battle ensued, with orc and elf alike being cut down in gruesome ways.

"What the hell is going on here, Ordmar? What does an orc attack have to do with dwarves?" I questioned him,

Ordmar shook his head slowly. I'm not sure if he did it in denial or if he really didn't know. "I... I don't know... All I do know is the weapons them orcs are using look mighty familiar..." He finally said.

That was not much information to go on. We watched the battle ensue until all the ghost elves were "killed", then the orc ghosts moved on to the next room, allowing us safe passage to explore the room. I don't know if the ghosts repeat an event over and over, but I don't want to risk getting into a fight with an undead creature, interrupting its cycle. We wandered around the rooms of the Severed Hand's ground floor, and I have to say, the whole place is a mess. Everything is broken and cluttered all around the floor, and we noticed that the orc invaders of the Severed Hand also had goblin allies attacking the elven army here. We walked near and around the ghosts, and to my comfort, they did not notice or attack us. It's almost as if someone doomed them to die and while dead, endlessly act out the battle that took place here who knows how many years ago. We eventually found a stairway spiraling up to the second floor, so we carefully walked up there.

The second floor, as far as I can tell, is where the library and workhouses are located here in this fortress, there are more fully decomposed skeletons and ghosts wandering around, not just of elven warriors slain in this mysterious battle, but also of goblins, orcs and their worg pets. Everywhere we went, on this floor, even in the library, we saw ghosts acting out the battle, reenacting the destruction of their surroundings, completely oblivious to our presence. we saw worgs overpower and maul brave warriors with sheer numbers, orcs being cut down by swords or shot down by arrows, all sorts of atrocities that I dare not describe here. Why goblins are allied with the orcs against the elves is another mystery that I want to solve. Andy looked into a badly ransacked room and saw the ghost of an orc armed with what looks like a war hammer of dwarven make attack an elf woman clad in body armor. She fought the orc bravely, but once another orc entered the room joining the fight, she was overwhelmed and overpowered.

Then Andy turned to face Ordmar.

"Hey, Ordmar. You're acting pretty skittish ever since we got here. Mind telling me what you know about this place?" He asked as if he suspected the dwarf knew something.

Ordmar blinked in confusion. "I donnae know nothin' 'bout what happened here," he said.

Andy nodded, glaring mildly at Ordmar. "Uh-huh. Sure. You better come clean soon, because I know a liar when he spits falsehoods," he said.

Ordmar exhaled softly, then shook his head, turning his head to the left and saw an orc ghost bash its shield against another elf warrior ghost, causing him to seemingly tumble over nothing but thin air then crash to the ground. Then Ordmar noticed a crumpled elf corpse near an overturned table, hinting that in life years ago, that orc caused the elf warrior to fall over a table and die landing on his head, breaking his neck.

I saw a few beads of sweat dripping from his face, but never questioned him, we just moved on, searching for the stairs that might take us to the third floor. If Larrel is here and alive, we might find him in one of the towers, it doesn't make sense for him to be down in the lower levels infested by the ghosts of elves, orcs, goblins and worgs. We found the stairs in what looked like a hollowed out inside of a tree in the center of the fortress extending upwards. The stairs spiraled up through the hollowed out insides of the tree to the third floor of the Severed Hand. The third floor is the throne floor, and the battle that took place here so long ago happened on this level too, goblin marksmen ghosts shooting arrows at elven archer ghosts, and the archers firing back, and those with melee weapons clashing steel, trying to find an opening to cut down their opponent. As always, seeing the fully decomposed corpse near the fighting ghosts is a clear sign of who the victor and loser was. The air also smelled stale here, tainted with the ripe odor of more than a dozen decomposing bodies that lay here ever since the battle ended. Soon we found the stairway that took us up to the fourth floor.

We didn't get far up the stairs, because when we neared the end of the stairs, we saw another baelnorn lich, not the same one that we saw kill the squirrel outside, this one we saw blocking our way at the end of the stairway to the 4th floor wore lightweight body armor and a single longsword sheathed on the left side of his waist, signifying that he was most likely a bladesinger when he was alive. How did I know this? Because bladesingers are the most respected class of warriors among_ Tel'Quessir_, which is what we elves call ourselves, which means "The People" in Elvish. They are experts at blending the art of swordplay and casting arcane magic into a seamless whole, making them deadly fighters. Most bladesingers are renowned as heroes and respected warriors among my people.

For example, I grew up listening to stories of one of the legendary bladesingers that lived and died long before I was born named Josidiah Starym, a gold elf born in Cormanthor before it became Myth Drannor who is said among my people to be the very first owner and friend of Guenhwyvar, the powerful black panther that can be summoned by a figurine that is now today owned and befriended by the popular drow ranger hero Drizzt Do'Urden. Who owned Guenhwyvar after Josidiah and before Drizzt is a complete mystery to my people and probably everyone else in Faerun. We stopped 8 feet away from the end of the stairway, waiting for the bladesinger lich to make a move at us, but he did not do anything. The bladesinger baelnorn lich started muttering something in Elvish, and only I could understand him, unless Andy and the others knew the tongue of my people, which they didn't.

He muttered: "_...The needs of the many... My duty is clear. For blade and faith._"

"What is he saying?" Andy asked me.

I translated everything I heard him say to Common.

"Sounds like he is an honor-bound warrior willing to lay down his life for his people. I can relate," Gorris commented.

"What should we do? Can we talk to him? I don't think its safe to walk past him," Andy said.

"Ye're an elf, lad. Go and talk to 'im, otherwise we ain't gettin' nowhere," Ordmar urged me quietly, standing behind me like a shield.

I still couldn't understand why Ordmar is so defensive in this place, but I complied and walked up the stairs towards the baelnorn.

"_Hello?_" I called to him in Elvish as I slowly stepped up to him one step at a time. "_My name is Jovan Goldmarsh, I am a ranger archer of Silvanus. Can you hear and understand me? Why are you standing guard there?_"

"_I have defended the Hand of the Seldarine at all costs... and will continue to do so. Cursed with unlife, my duty remains clear. I stand guard against those who would defile what remains of the Seldarine's Hand,_" the baelnorn replied to me.

The Seldarine are what my people call the pantheon of elf gods and goddesses, there is Corellon Larethian, Aerdrie Faenya, Rillifane Rallathil, Sehanine Moonbow and several others I don't have time naming and describing. And it was at this moment speaking to the baelnorn that I learned the Severed Hand's true name, the Hand of the Seldarine.

"_Then you have no quarrel with us. Our intentions are not to cause more damage to the Hand,_" I assured the baelnorn.

The baelnorn fixed his eyeless sockets on me.

"_I will be the judge of that. Speak your intentions clearly,_" he instructed.

"Evil plagues the land. We seek the aid of Larrel to help us find the source," I declared with all honesty in my voice.

The baelnorn seemed to relax when I told him this.

"_Perhaps you are not the miscreants I had thought you were. If what you say is true, it is my duty to aid you if it will further the ways of the Seldarine,_" he said.

"_I assure you, our efforts will benefit the Seldarine and everyone else who will not prosper if this evil is left unchecked,_" I replied.

"_My name is Lethias Enaril, bladesinger of the Seldarine,_" the baelnorn introduced himself, bowing respectfully.

"_Well met, Lethias. What is your duty to the Hand, exactly?_" I asked him.

"_Some say bladesingers are the elite of elven warriors. Trained from an early age in the ways of weapons, magic and diplomacy, bladesingers carry out the elven way in words and action. When life prospered in the Seldarine's Hand, it was my duty to defend the cause of the Seldarine. When the time of our darkest hour approached, I swore to protect Larrel and the Hand until I had no more blood to be spilled. To do any less would disgrace my kind. For many days, I fought alongside my brothers and sisters. Score after score of orcs and goblins fell as my blade sang through the air. Although I saw nothing but the color of my enemy's blood, we were losing ground. When we realized the fall of the Hand was inevitable, we were forced to take desperate action. _

_Sehanine tower was our most prized tower. Inside were the chambers where we crafted our finest weapons and artifacts. We could not let our magics fall into into the hands of the horde or the surrounding lands would suffer for centuries after the Hand fell. A desperate plan was created that would ensure this would never happen. All the artifacts within Sehanine tower were set to release their magic so that the tower would destroy itself. Before these energies were released, however, we planned to lead as many of the orcs and goblins as we could into Sehanine. The plan required one who was willing to lead the orcs and goblins into the tower. One who would know the sacrifice had to be made. One willing to die._"

"_Was it you...?_" I whispered aloud.

Lethias nodded slowly. "_Yes. It was me. I decided that it would be me. I would make the sacrifice. My duty was clear. When the time came, the horde pursued me as I climbed to the top. As my enemies stormed the room at the pinnacle of the tower, I fought with blade and faith for the last time. With the wall at my back and the room filled with orcs and goblins, I heard the first explosions from the base of the tower... and smiled. I died- and I knew I had died, but... I awoke. That was when I saw myself. Not as an elven bladesinger, but as a twisted undead monster. Something brought my body back into this form but had left my mind intact. So here I am, standing before what was once known as Sehanine tower. A monster perhaps, but one thing remains the same. My duty to myself and the Hand of the Seldarine,_" Lethias said, finally concluding his story of how he became an undead creature.

"_Your sacrifice will not be forgotten by me, Lethias. But I'd like to hear what you know about how to find Larrel. We need to find him urgently,_" I said.

Lethias shrugged. "_Unfortunately, I have not seen Larrel in some time. I know that during the fall of the Hand, he and his wizards locked themselves atop Labelas tower. They sought a way to save our people through magic- but from looking around, something must have gone terribly wrong. Seek a way into Labelas tower. Perhaps you will find an answer there,_" he suggested.

"_Many thanks, Lethias,_" I said, then he allowed us to walk past him, gaining entry to the 4th floor of the Severed Hand, and he continued to guard the stairs down to the 3rd floor, in case the ghosts of the orcs and goblins decide to try to come up to the 4th floor, which is unlikely, because if they are anything like Lethias, souls trapped in this long abandoned fortress, they would be completely unaware that they are able to explore the entire fortress, only the parts of the fortress they've been to when they were among the living.

* * *

Now that we know that the tower representing the index finger of of the hand shaped fortress is Sehanine Tower and that it was destroyed in the war against the orcs and goblins, we know that we only have four intact towers left to explore. As we explored the 4th floor of the Severed Hand, we noticed that this floor is more circular than the others, and holds the barracks, kitchens and slave quarters, there are still elven ghosts here sitting at the tables drinking ale and mead, talking to each other, telling jokes, playing games and laughing as if they are blissfully unaware that they are no longer among the living. Seeing this broke my heart, even Ordmar, though he still refuses to explain why he is feeling so defensive here in this fortress. In the barracks, we met a young elf girl ghost named Sehriya who has such a cheerful and friendly personality that she has a very positive outlook on life and believes her mother will return, though none of us had the heart to tell her the truth of what happened to everyone here. She was willing to guide us around little and point out to us which way leads to the Labelas Tower.

She showed us that there are five stairways leading up to the five towers. The one southwest from us at the 8:00 position of the 4th floor is the stairway that leads to Solonor Tower. The stairway at the 2:00 position between the barracks and the room where goods are sold leads to Corellon Tower, the tower that is supposed to be the pinky finger. The stairway at the 1:00 position leads to Sheverash Tower that is supposed to be the ring finger. The middle finger tower is Labelas Tower, where we need to go, but the stairway is rendered impassible so none of the orc and goblin ghosts will have an easy time getting to Larrel out of revenge, so we need to find a new route to the tower, or make one, if need be. Lysara assumed that Sheverash Tower might hold an alternate way to Labelas Tower like a bridge or something since they are close together, otherwise Larrel would have no way coming down to the main floors of the Severed Hand if he wished, so we headed up the stairs to Sheverash Tower, leaving Sehriya behind.

Ascending Sheverash Tower wasn't easy, we had to fight a few elven sentries which were posted at the tower doing nothing since their fall to undeath, so they noticed us easily and attacked us believing we are intruders. If Lethias were with us, he would talk them down, but he is loyal to his duty, preventing the orc and goblin ghosts in the lower floors coming up here. The strange thing is about fighting creatures that are no longer flesh and blood is when they manage to hit you with their weapon, it feels "real", as if you could actually see, feel and touch them and they can do the same even though their corporeal bodies have long decayed, only their spirits remain. And when you hit them with your own weapon, they still recoil and cry out in pain even though your arrow, crossbow bolt or blade basically passed through their transparent bodies. We suffered minor injuries during the fights, but we managed to defeat the ghosts of the elven warriors stationed at Sheverash Tower until we climbed up to the third floor, where we found an opening leading out to a large stone bridge wide enough and sturdy enough to hold a single wagon directly connected to Labelas Tower.

When we crossed the bridge, we were attacked by four elven archers, a mage and three swordsmen, who began shooting transparent arrows at us from the other end of the bridge, and the mage cast the Ghost Armor spell on himself. Though the arrows are as ghostly as the spirits who fired them, they still feel painful as getting shot by a real arrow. I should know, because one nicked my left shoulder. damaging the shoulder plate of my studded leather body armor a little. Ordmar commanded us to get behind him and we got into a single file line behind him while crouching down, and he used his shield to protect us from the barrage of transparent arrows. Lysara and I took turns firing arrows and crossbow bolts at the ghosts, and when our projectiles hit them, or should I say pass through them, the elf ghosts cry out in pain as if they actually got shot then disappear into thin air. Andy cast Stoneskin on himself, stood up and began casting a spell on the elf mage, but the mage was quicker, casting a Chromatic Orb at andy, and when the orb hit him, it temporarily paralyzed him. Lysara shot the elf mage ghosts, but thearchers and swordsmen are still left. There are only four archers, so dispatching them with Ordmar protecting us all was somewhat easy, but when the swordsmen moved in for melee combat, we had to change our strategy. Gorris, Xalorn and Ordmar broke rank and attacked them when there was one archer left. Lysara tried aiming for the last archer, but she ended up hitting one of the swordsmen by mistake when he accidentally jumped in the path of her arrow while fighting Gorris, Xalorn and Ordmar. I managed to dispatch the last archer, then the swordsmen were soon defeated. We felt lucky to have Ordmar around. Without him, we would be exposed with no cover like our opponents, that was our major advantage. After the archers, swordsmen and mage were taken care of, we continued crossing the bridge into Labelas Tower.

The room we entered in this tower seemed to be a place where the bedrooms of important people like Larrel are. Each bedroom is divided into segments like hotel rooms. Fortunately the rooms are empty, no elven ghosts to harass us here, so we checked the bedroom for anything useful, clues or something. in one bedroom with a bed that has green bed sheets unlike the others that have blue bed sheets, I found a diary. Out of curiosity, I read it. It is a diary written by an elven woman named Evayne, who happens to be Larrel's daughter. It took me a while to find the relevant parts of her diary, and I read the important parts slowly and carefully.

_"... so it has come to this. The orc and goblin forces grow stronger with each victory. Where they attained the weapons of the alliance is still a mystery, but I believe in my heart that it was not through the dwarves. We have succeeded in stifling their advances but it won't hold long. We have taken severe casualties and our forces are dwindling rapidly._

_Negotiations are over with our former friends. We are now in open conflict with them. As much as I love my father, I blame him for this. Ever since we found the weapons in the horde's possession, father has been completely irrational. Any discussions had with our former friends ended in bitter accusations and resentment. He adamantly believes that the dwarves betrayed us and listens to nothing they have to say in their defense._

_Am I the only one who sees that both sides are going to die horribly if this continues? Father does not see reason in putting aside hostilities with the dwarves so that we may unite against our common enemy. I spoke to him of going to Dorn's Deep to approach our old friends. He lashed out at me in anger and sent me out of the astrolabe._

_I now make preparations to leave home and ride to Dorn's Deep myself. I know in my heart what must be done and this is the only way. Perhaps I have more of my father's stubbornness than I thought."_

It all makes sense now. After reading that letter, I began to understand why Ordmar feels so uncomfortable here. He must be a descendant of the dwarves of Dorn's Deep, who were accused of betraying the elves of the Hand of the Seldarine.

"What's that you're reading, Jovan?" Andy asked me.

I turned around to see my companions looking at me curiously, and Ordmar looking anxious as usual.

"Ordmar... Why didn't you tell me the truth earlier?" I asked him.

"Lad, do ye think it's easy fer me to explain to ye the sins of me kin? What do ye expect me to say? That my kin betrayed the elves? No, because it ain't true, I swear upon Moradin's hammer! I ain't got no evidence t' prove it. All I got is me word."

"I believe you, Ordmar, and you're not alone either. This journal here belongs to Larrel's daughter. She too believes that your kin is innocent," I informed him. "But once we meet Larrel, he might not believe your innocence, but when I show him his daughter's journal, maybe he will listen to reason," I said.

Ordmar nodded slowly. "Okay... I trust ye, lad. I put me life on the line for all of ye many times over, now I must let ye put yer life on the line fer me," he conceded.

I nodded, smiling at him reassuringly. "It's the least I can do," I said.

* * *

We ascended upstairs to the library where the ghost of an elf named Custantos acting as a librarian cared for the books even though most of them have spilled from the shelves and he does not have a physical form to pick them up and place them back where they belong. Then we ascended up the next flight of stairs and we found ourselves in the astrolabe room that Larrel's daughter mentioned in her journal. None of us has ever seen an astrolabe before, but it is a masterpiece of machinery, I'll say that much. Three pedestals holding up multicolored globes representing planets, suns, moons and planes of existence connected together by thick rods of metal, and cogs that connect to the machinery that help rotate the globes are frozen in place, apparently missing something. Larrel is present in the room, wandering about holding his head as if he has a severe headache, and I recognized him as the baelnorn lich we saw kill the squirrel outside. Another baelnorn lich, who seems more sane than Larrel, stood near the button panels that would operate the astrolabe, muttering angrily to himself.

"_Blasted machine! I'll never get her fixed!_" I heard him exclaim angrily in Elvish.

"Might I ask what's wrong with *her*?" I asked, speaking Common in hopes that he might know the human language so my companions will know what he is saying.

The baelnorn glared at me angrily and pointed at the astrolabe. "Can't you see she's broken? I can't power her up until her missing pieces are replaced."

"What missing pieces?" Andy asked him on my behalf.

The man clenched his fists in frustration. "I have no time to talk to those mechanically ignorant! Find me a piece that fits or stay out of my way!" He exclaimed.

"Can you at least tell us who you are?" Felicia asked.

"GAHHH! You waste my time with pointless chatter. My name is Gelarith. During the days when I was alive, I built and maintained this hunk of junk that used to be an astrolabe."

"You built this astrolabe all by yourself?" Andy asked.

Gelarith nodded. "That I did. Larrel charged me with designing and building this machine. A device was needed by the wizards to help research the stars and moons. Now it's only good for collecting dust."

"Could Larrel give us some insight?" Lysara asked, pointing over at Larrel who is still holding his head and muttering like a madman nearby.

"Have you spoken to him? All he does is rant about worthless dribble. I can't make any sense out of him. Quite different form the noble elven wizard he once was," Gelarith replied.

"How did you end up here when the Hand fell?" I asked.

"The last thing I remembered while defending the Hand was an arrow piercing my back. When I awoke, I found myself in this ghastly form. Now I spend my days trying to find a way to fix this blasted machine."

I looked over at Larrel, then over at the astrolabe. Then I barely heard Larrel say: "_...free...my... people... Astrolabe... whirls... twirls..._"

I frowned in confusion. It seems in his insanity, Larrel wants the astrolabe to be fixed. I don't know how that will help anyone, but we have no other options.

"Gelarith, we will help you fix the astrolabe. Just tell us what we need to look for," I said.

"We are?" Gorris asked in utter confusion.

"I didn't expect you to volunteer to help, but I will accept it. You have my thanks. Here is what you need to find..."

Then Gelarith began to explain to us what we need to find to fix the astrolabe. Tools and missing pieces that could be anywhere in the Severed Hand. After we were given the list, we returned to the 4th floor and began our search.

We had to go to the other three towers to find what Gelarith needs to fix the astrolabe. It wasn't easy, with elven ghosts attacking us at every turn. However, not all of the elven ghosts were hostile towards us. Some helped us find the pieces and tools we needed, like Kaylessa, a beautiful elf woman who was the best archer among her peers in the Hand of the Seldarine. We also met the ghost of Denaini at Solonor Tower, a young acolyte of the Hand and gained her assistance too. In less than two hours, we had everything Gelarith needed to fix the astrolabe.

When we returned to the astrolabe room at Lebelas Tower, Gelarith was happy to see us return with the tools, and we had to wait for ten hours for him to fix it. We spent the time down at the lower levels of the tower, sleeping in the bedrooms, and out of boredom, Andy went to the library to read some books. After ten hours had passed, we returned to the astrolabe room to find the astrolabe fully operational, gears moving, and the globes rotating.. Now Gelarith is more than happy. He is overjoyed!

"Well, throw me into the Abyss! Look at her! Ha ha! Isn't she beautiful? You have my eternal gratitude for helping my fix her. May Corellon guide you all," he said.

Then we looked over at Larrel who is slowly approaching us, still holding his head, but looks like he is recovering from his migraine gradually..

"Uhhhh... Greetings adventurers. Pardon me while I gather my thoughts. Who are you, and what has come to pass?" He asked us, slowly regaining his sanity.

I was shocked. Fixing the astrolabe somehow cured Larrel from his insanity.

"My name is Jovan. This is Andy, that's Gorris, Xalorn, Ordmar, Felicia and Lysara. We are adventurers who have come to the Severed Hand to seek your knowledge and power. In doing so, we learned of the curse bestowed here and your sanity lost centuries ago. We restored you to some of your former self and beseech you for aid," I explained.

Larrel nodded in agreement. "Indeed you have, noble adventurers. It must have taken great courage and strength to make it as far as you did, let alone restore some balance to my thoughts. I am eternally in your debt. But surely you did not come to the Hand of the Seldarine on a whin? Tell me what it is you seek."

"Before we tell you, I wish to know more of the events that came to pass here in the Hand," I suggested.

"Be careful of what you ask him. Some of these times hold bitter memories," Gelarith warned me,

"Very well. There is much to tell. Should I start with the time of prosperity, betrayal, or our darkest hour?" Larrel asked.

"Start with the time of prosperity then continue on to the darkest hour," I suggested.

"In light of the greater threat of the orcish and goblin hordes of the North, we elves allied ourselves with the dwarves. The alliance was a desperate one, but it was either that or fall to the dark hordes. As both races prospered from our mutual cooperation, we furthered our bonds by creating powerful artifacts and weapons. Delicate dwarven craftsmanship combined with ancient elven magic yielded items of great power and unsurpassed beauty. With the unity of our two races wielding the magical benefits of our labor, the hordes were easily kept in check. Our cooperation continued, and we prospered in harmony for many decades... until the betrayal," Larrel explained, his voice darkening when he mentioned the betrayal.

"Tell us about the betrayal, please," I said.

Larrel held up a hand in my direction signaling me to wait. "You will need to be patient as this is a bitter subject for me. A great debate ensued with our dwarven allies regarding the magic items created by our union. It seems the greed inherent in all dwarves could not be contained. They wanted to begin selling our magic items to the other settlements in the North. Preposterous, I told them! To allow others access to these artifacts, all for the sake of profit? I was appalled but not surprised. Dwarves cannot resist their selfish nature for long."

When Larrel paused for a moment, I looked over at Ordmar and saw him looking rather sad and guilty. I could tell that Larrel's hatred of dwarves overshadows his common sense that not all dwarves are greedy.

"My people and I were adamant that the humans were not to have any access to any magical artifacts. After many months of debate, the dwarves conceded, and we thought the issue done. Then, a day came that marked the fate of both races. Our forces encountered what we thought another typical group of the orc and goblin hordes. What should have been an easy battle turned out to be a hard-fought victory- for they were using artifacts and weapons created by the alliance. Furious, we questioned the dwarves about this. No elf would ever give our greatest treasures to a hated enemy. The dwarves, of course, denied our accusations. In honor of our alliance through the decades, we extended our trust further and tried to come to some solution."

I could now feel the heat of Larrel's anger brimming as he continued on with the story.

"We were fools to believe we could coexist with these rock eaters. Any and all discussions just turned into open argument and further accusations. Did the dwarves think we'd be stupid to assume that the artifacts just magically appeared in the Horde's camps? As to be expected, open conflict broke out. The decades of friendship and prosperity ended that day. The alliance was no more. On that day, the elves of the Hand of the Seldarine were alone against the dwarves and goblinoid hordes. Day after day, night after night, our forces dwindled as we fought a war we could not win alone. Sacrifices had to be made to make sure the goblinoids did not leave with our artifacts. In an act of desparation, we set our stash of magical artifacts in Sehanine Tower to detonate. Our best bladesinger volunteered to sacrifice himself as bate to lure the orcs and goblins to that tower. But doing this would not be enough. I had no choice but to cast a a mythal that cursed everyone in the fortress in a state between death and undeath."

"What is a mythal?" Andy asked.

"The mythal is a powerful spell from ancient and nearly forgotten elven lore. It creates a living force that embodies the area it is cast on, sustaining itself on the natural processes of the environment, it can be bestowed with powers to enhance its protective nature," Larrel explained.

"So the mythal was meant to protect the Hand?" Gorris asked.

"That is correct. We were losing against the Hordes, acts of desperation were necessary, we needed to buy time to protect ourselves until our brothers and sisters in the south arrive to aid us. My plan was to lay a mythal down on the Hand that would prevent the dark horde from entering," Larrel replied.

"But something went wrong," Felicia said.

"Yes. While our defenses were being broken by the orcs and goblins, I managed to cast the mythal down on the Hand, engulfing it. We were protected from the bulk of the Hordes, but something went terribly wrong. Instead, I damned us all. the mythal drained our life essence, almost to the point of death. Elf, goblin and orc alike became shades, ghosts, driven mad by the life that had been taken from them. Those who died, including myself and Gelarith here were brought back as undead," Larrel said.

All the pieces of the puzzle have come together. I have no doubt in my heart now that the dwarves are innocent.

"I found your daughter's journal while we were searching for the tools to fix the astrolabe," I said as I handed the journal to him.

Larrel's skeletal hands gently took the book and he examined it, reading the last entry. If he could cry, he would definitely do it now.

"My beloved daughter... I see you were thorough in your search of the Hand. The last entries describe her resolve to find a way to reforge the union with those accursed dwarves. I never saw her again..." He said sadly.

"You never saw her again? What became of her?" I asked.

"FOOLS!" Larrel vehemently shouted in my face. "Can you not discern it with your own mind?! Those dwarves committed the worst atrocity knowing its impact on me! They murdered my daughter! For that, I will _never _forgive them. For the punishment I suffered for my arrogance and pride, Labelas be damned if he thinks I will forgive them for what they did! I would stay in this cursed form, never to see Arvandor, if it meant I could make the dwarves pay for their crime. LEAVE NOW! I WILL NOT SPEAK OF THIS ANYMORE!"

"First you blame my kin fer sellin' the artifacts we made ot the orcs and goblins, NOW YE ACCUSE US OF MURDER?!" Ordmar exclaimed, stepping forward.

"Ordmar!" I exlaimed in shock.

Ordmar looked up defiantly at Larrel and said: "Listen here, ye pointy-eared arrogant snob, if ye got the ears! Fer decades, me family and I have lived with the guilt that somehow the weapons and artifacts we made ended up in the hands of the orcs and goblins! They said it once, and I'll say it again. WE DID NOT GIVE THEM WEAPONS TO THE GOBLINOIDS! Yes, there are some among my kind that are as greedy as ye say, but ye have to understand that not all of me kin are greedy, and the same can be said 'bout humans too. Ever since me grandparents escaped Dorn's Deep, we carried the weight of yer accusations fer a long time. We don't know what happened, but if some of me greedy kin did sell our artifacts to the orcs and goblins, not all of my kin knew about it, and those who did not know and their descendants like me had to find ways to atone for the actions of our greedy kin. That is why I became a dwarven defender instead of remaining a cleric. A cleric may heal wounds, but there be some wounds a cleric can't heal. As a dwarven defender, I have put the lives of me allies and friends first before me own life, using my life as a shield fer those who cannae defend themselves. I endure the pain meant for me friends as penance for the sins of my kin. There are some people I have failed to defend, like this lass's parents," Ordmar pointed at Lysara. "... but by Moradin's hammer, I refuse to give up defending my allies and friends with me own life rather than me healing spells!"

Larrel crossed his arms. "Hmph. Beautiful honeyed words, coming from a descendant of murderers," he said skeptically.

I got angry too.

"_He's telling the truth, damn it!_ I've never met a man so determined to lay down his life for anyone before! He saved my life once, risking great injury for reasons I couldn't fathom back then. Now, after understanding him more, I understand why he is who he is. I couldn't ask for a better partner than Ordmar Coppershield. The people I traveled with and fought with in the past didn't have as much heart as he does! Decades ago, I was once a member of the Company of the Gauntlet with my late wife, Elsara Elhromane. We fought a green dragon called Athauglas, and not one man lifted a finger to save my wife! Because of my wife's death, victory over the green dragon felt more bitter to me than my fellow adventurers. If I had met Ordmar all those years ago, he would defend me, my wife and everyone else who fought alongside us with his life and shield. That's the kind of man I respect, regardless of his race. But you, you are so consumed by your hatred of dwarves you fail to understand that not all dwarves are greedy like you think. Ordmar here spent his entire life trying to atone for the sins his kin allegedly made! And you lashed out at your own daughter for voicing her intention of learning the truth of this conflict! If that's not enough to earn your forgiveness, then we should move on to why we are here. The alliance between the elves of the Hand and dwarves of Dorn's Deep may have ended... but it lives on inside Ordmar and me, " I said defiantly.

For a while Larrel said nothing, he just stared at me for a minute, and I stared back into his dark, eyeless sockets. Gelarith only watched with mild worry, afraid that I might have angered Larrel into considering attacking me and my party. Fortunately Larrel was not considering doing that. After the long pause, he nodded, conceding defeat.

"All right. Now, what is it that brings you here to the Hand of the Seldarine?" He finally asked me.

"We seek knowledge that can only be divined through the Heartstone," I told him.

"Very well," Larrel said. "As legend states, the Heartstone Gem is an ancient artifact from a time long forgotten. Its most notable owners were the druids of Kuldahar before one within their circle stole the gem. It was thought forever lost, until now... The Heartstone Gem contains powerful scrying abilities that can divine the affairs of people throughout the realms. There are only a few within the land who know how to release its powers. I am one of them. With that said, what is it you seek to learn from the Heartstone Gem?"

"We seek to learn the source of the evil that troubles the North," Ordmar replied.

"Then you will have what you seek. Hand me the Heartstone Gem," Larrel instructed.

Ordmar approached Larrel and gave him the Heartstone Gem. The gem was passed from Ordmar's hands to Larrel's skeletal hands, and then we stepped back a few feet, giving Larrel some room. Slowly, the gem began to glow, and levitate a few inches from the palm of Larrel's skeletal hand. Then he brought his face closer and closer to the gem, peering into it intently while keeping his right hand directly under the levitating gem. As he did this, he whispered a series of strange chants and incantations. Then suddenly, a flash of light sparked briefly within the gem, startling us. It was almost as if the light rays of the sun have been reflected from the gem, even though there are no windows in the astrolabe room for that to be possible. Then suddenly, reflected in the gem's reflective surface appeared an image of a statue. Ordmar and Larrel recognized this monument. It is a statue depicting an elf and a dwarf sitting side by side on a dual throne, symbolizing the unity of elves and dwarves before the alliance was broken.

"I don't believe it...! Of all the places...!" Ordmar gasped in shock.

"What? What was that?" Xalorn asked in confusion.

"Even if Labelas's curse had taken my eyesight, I would still recognize that hole. What you have seen is Dorn's Deep, den of the betrayers. In here is where the wretched dwarves hollowed out their home."

"What?! Seriously?!" Andy exclaimed in surprise.

"Looks like we'll get to see the home of your ancestors after all, Ordmar," Felicia said.

"Be warned if your journey takes you there. If any of the dwarves remain, expect no quarter, for they will give none. Believe none of their lies, as they will all lead to treachery. If you do decide to venture forth to that dwarven vestige of evil, then I will mark its location on your map. Also, I have the power to take you there if you wish." Larrel warned us.

I am thoroughly disappointed that Larrel still clings to his hatred of dwarves even after everything Ordmar and I told him, but we can't do anything about it.

"Let us rest for a day here, then we'll be ready to go," I said.

"Very well. You may rest in the barracks and come see me when you are ready to depart," Larrel said.

"Thank you, Larrel, for everything," I said before we left the astrolabe room.


	7. Chapter 7 Into Dorn's Deep part 1

We rested in the barracks of Severed Hand that night after we learned from Larrel that the evil that threatens Kuldahar can be found deep within the long abandoned cavernous dwarven city called Dorn's Deep. With a name like that, I don't know how deep this abandoned dwarf city is, but I have a feeling that the man... at least I think he is a man, who impersonated Arundel is hiding out, with who knows how many minions he has by his side. I lay in my bed in a small room, thinking of the possible traps we might walk into at Dorn's Deep. The man who impersonated Arundel must have an army of minions by his side, frost giants, maybe, which explains why they attacked Hrothgar's expedition at Kuldahar Pass. Seven adventurers against more than a dozen minions of an evil individual... The odds seem against us, but I still have faith, we have come this far, and I bet Hrothgar and Arundel are smiling on our progress if they can see what we are doing in the afterlife.

Then my thoughts slowly drifted away from Dorn's Deep to the time when I served with the Company of the Gauntlet. It was an adventuring guild that used to operate around Cormanthor, the forest where elven city Myth Drannor resided, I joined it because a woman I fell in love with convinced me to join. Her name was Elsara Elhromane, and I vividly recall that she had such amazingly alluring green eyes, like the evergreen grass of an open meadow. She told me that adventuring with a guild is more fun than adventuring solo. And yes, she was right, as if she knew how lonely I felt. For decades prior to my time in the Company of the Gauntlet, I have been traveling Faerun on my own slowly and steadily, with no one to call a friend or lover. I suppose you could say that the loneliness got to me, and I subconsciously grew tired of it. Though the adventuring guild operated around Comranthor, we didn't go near the ruins of Myth Drannor since the city had been destroyed long ago- the eladrin of Cormanthor work rigorously to keep overconfident, foolhardy adventurers from going into the ruins of the city unless they prove themselves capable, because from what I have heard, the ruins of Myth Drannor is one of the most dangerous places to go adventuring or exploring in Faerun. On the second year of my time serving the Company of the Gauntlet, Elsara and I got married. But unfortunately our marriage lasted no less than a year.

It is all because of that fateful year, the Year of the Trembling Tree (1223 DR). That year holds memories I hoped I could forget. Now I see that some memories can't be easily forgotten. Then suddenly, disturbing my somewhat peaceful recollections, I heard the door creak open and I sat up in my bed in alarm only to see Ordmar standing at the door, his right hand still gripping the doorknob.

"Mind if I come in?" He whispered to me.

I shook my head. "No. I couldn't sleep. Too much on my mind."

Then Ordmar walked into the room and sat down on my bed.

"I bet there is," Ordmar said while he climbed onto my bed and sat down. "I bet there is a lot on yer mind 'cause there's a memory ye wish ye could forget."

"Well... yes... something like that," I shrugged. "When I defended you from Larrel, I told him about one of my worst memories."

"About ye losing yer wife to a dragon?" Ordmar asked hesitantly.

I nodded slowly.

"What happened, lad?" Then he immediately shook his head. "I donnae mean t' pry, I just wanna know a little bit of what happened, ye don't have t' tell me everything."

"No, no, it's fine. Honestly I've forgotten much about what happened, the memories are too painful for me to remember in full detail, so I can't tell you the whole story in detail." I paused to take in a deep breath and sigh slowly. "All right... It all started a few decades ago, in the Year of the Trembling Tree. I was with the Company of the Gauntlet adventuring guild when they made an exploration trek into the ruins of Myth Drannor. We had heard that the ruins of the city is one of the most dangerous locations on the face of Faerun, but that didn't stop our superiors from deciding to explore the ruins. After we gained permission by the eladrin who watched over the ruins of the city, we explored the city ruins inch by inch as we possibly could, staying wary for traps and any monster that could jump us at any corner. We eventually encountered a green dragon named Athauglas. The ensuing battle with that wyrm was tough, but with perseverance and teamwork, we triumphed, but our victory came at a cost. Several of my friends lost their lives to that wretched beast's chlorine gas clouds... and... my wife did not survive either..."

Ordmar let out a nearly quiet gasp. "By Moradin's hammer, lad, I am so sorry," he said sympathetically.

"After we defeated the dragon, we obtained its treasure hoard and left the city ruins as heroes, though I doubt we were really heroes, more like treasure hunters," I said bitterly, saying the word "treasure hunters" disdainfully as if it were a curse upon my lips.

"Why?" Ordmar asked curiously.

I gently shook my head, keeping my face lowered to the dusty wooden floorboards. "I have no evidence to prove it, but I think my superiors of the Company of the Gauntlet were only interested in taking Athauglas' treasure horde, and that the loss of my friends and wife were just a small price to pay for victory. That's why I left..." I closed my eyes and a single tear leaked out from my left eye.

Then I felt Ordmar give me a friendly pat on my back.

"Lad, ye need t' move on with yer life. Let old ghosts rest, and find happiness with some other lass. If yer wife were here, I'm sure she wouldn't want to see ye drown yerself in yer sorrows," he told me sympathetically.

I shook my head. "I think she would rather be by my side again," I said.

"But she can't, and both of ye will have to live with that. Never forget her, boy, but focus on the fact that ye are alive and breathing," Ordmar instructed me.

I opened my eyes then looked at him.

"I defended ye with my my life back in the Vale of Shadows, and ye repaid me by standing up fer me against Larrel. I owe ye fer that, lad, and the best way I can repay ye is let ye know that ye should move on and find another lass... like Felicia, fer example. She's a fine lass, and I think that she is interested in ye, don't ye think so?"

I sighed. "I think I need a drink," I muttered then flopped back into my bed.

Ordmar shrugged then left my room. "Keep in mind what I said, Jovan. Don't push away a good thing when it comes to ye," he said before shutting the door.

I groaned in reply before the door closed shut.

* * *

The next morning we headed northwest from Severed Hand, backtracking our way through the grasslands to the part of the Spine Of The World that is affected by the unnatural winter weather plaguing Kuldahar. It took us three days and eight hours to get to the area marked on the map Larrel gave to us. It seems that the entrance to Dorn's Deep is built into the caverns on the sides of the canyon that surrounds the grasslands, Kuldahar and other locations that we have been to.

We found the entrance to Dorn's Deep by nightfall on the third day since we left the Severed Hand, and up ahead we saw the cavern entrance guarded by two orogs, one wearing splint mail body armor, the other wearing armor made out of riveted chains. They had no trouble spotting us too, even though large amounts of snow is falling down on our heads, making it hard to see what is 30 feet ahead.

"You halt," one of them said while his friend pulled his sword out of the scabbard.

"What's going on?" Gorris asked innocently.

"You trespass on orog territory," the orog who drew his sword first growled.

"And we don't care about that," Andy said, then immediately fired a magic missile at the orog he replied to.

The ball of arcane energy knocked down the orog, and before his friend could react, I shot him with my crossbow, but we weren't out of the woods yet. Jumping out of snow mounds on both sides of us charged three more orogs. Gorris, Xalorn, Ordmar, Felicia and I engaged them in battle. Fortunately these creatures were not prepared to fight a group of well-armed adventurers like us, so we felled them without getting wounded. After the sentries were taken care of, we cautiously approached the cavern entrance.

"Stay on guard, everyone," I advised my group, keeping my loaded crossbow aimed at whatever could come out at us from the darkness of the cavern's entrance.

As we entered the cavern, our eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness as we moved forward, Lysara and I taking the lead with our ranged weapons up and ready to shoot at anything that attacks us. We kept moving forward down the tunnel until our eyes caught sight of blue objects all around us when the enclosed tunnel space around us opened wide into a large room, with the stalactite covered ceiling being 48 feet above our heads. Lysara lowered her shortbow and arrow and admired the scenery of blue objects illuminating the cave in an eerie blue light.

"Ooooh! Blue mushrooms!" She said in childish awe.

"This is one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen..." Gorris said admiringly.

"Shhh. Keep it down," I reminded everyone.

We cautiously entered the mushroom forest. The height of the giant blue mushrooms that illuminate this part of the cavern range from 2 feet tall to 4 1/2 feet tall, far as we could tell. The edges of the mushroom caps are bright blue, as if they are bio-luminescent, but the centers of the mushroom caps are jet black. We moved through the mushroom maze, trying to make our way towards the actual entrance to Dorn's Deep 50 feet away from where we are, and near the entrance is a large stone monument that had been sculpted by dwarves into a throne, and sitting on the left side of the throne is an elf, and sitting on the right side is a dwarf, the exact same statue that Larrel saw when he divined the Heartstone Gem for us. I thought it was my imagination, but I thought I saw three ettin standing near the statue, wearing clothing made out of winter wolf fur and pelts, looking up at it for some reason. After close examination from where I stood, I realized that we won't be getting into Dorn's Deep easily with those ettin standing so close to the entrance.

Ettin are a race of giants that have two heads, two independent personalities sharing the same body, the left head controlling the left arm and leg, the right head controlling the right arm and leg.

"What do you see, Jovan?" Xalorn whispered to me.

"I see two- no, three ettin standing near the entrance to Dorn's Deep," I whispered back.

"Oh, of all the damn luck..." Xalorn cursed quietly.

"Do you think we have a chance of fighting them?" Andy asked me.

I shook my head. "I don't know, but we can't let them stop us," I whispered back.

While we were discussing a good strategy of how to defeat the three ettin without getting smashed by their weapons, Lysara was busy admiring the beautiful bright blue mushrooms around her. She couldn't help it, their brightness is captivating to her eyes. She reached out to touch one mushroom that is the same height as she is, and as soon as she placed her right hand on top of the mushroom and gently rubbed its soft, smooth surface, she looked up and saw another blue mushroom behind it. This one had arms, legs and eyes. Lysara froze for a second. Wait. A mushroom with arms, legs and eyes...? When the mushroom creature scowled and made a gurgling growl noise at Lysara, she shrieked in fright and immediately crouched behind the mushroom she touched in time to protect herself from the ball of spores the myconid spat out to attack her, the ball of spores shattered on the mushroom's head upon impact.

Myconids, or "Fungus Men", are living, breathing mushroom creatures with two arms, two legs and one head under the mushroom cap. They generally communicate via telepathy or the spores they spit out from their mouths, and some variants of their spores can also be used as a weapons. Lysara's shriek caught our attention, and unfortunately not only us, but also the three ettin near the entrance to Dorn's Deep 50 feet away from us on the other side of the wide open cavern space thanks to the echo. Then we noticed four more myconids pop up among the blue mushrooms. They were camouflaged among the mushrooms!

"What the...?! Mushroom people?!" Gorris exclaimed in confusion while drawing his sword for combat.

"We need to finish them off fast, we got three two headed giants coming our way!" Felicia said urgently.

We had no trouble fighting the myconids, they had no weapons other than their spores, and we had no trouble dodging them or protecting ourselves from them. I don't know too much about myconids, so I don't know if it is natural for them to attack people unprovoked or not. We managed to kill the myconids that ambushed us, and just in time, the three ettin are drawing nearer to us. We couldn't fight them among the maze of blue mushrooms, so we had to run. While we ran, I slowed down occasionally to fire my crossbow at their heads one step at at time. When I manage to kill one head, the arm and leg it controlled become limp, becoming no more than dead weight for the other head that is still alive, making it hard for them to run. It was sort of funny, really, to see the ettin limping after us when I manage to shoot one of their heads. By the time we made it near the statue of the elf and dwarf sitting on a double throne together, both Lysara and I took aim at the third and final ettin, then we fired. My crossbow bolt hit the left head, and Lysara's arrow hit the right head, then the two headed giant collapsed dead with a thunderous thud.

"That is definitely no way to get _ahead_ in life," Andy joked. He looked over at Felicia and found her glaring at him.

"...Really? The timing of your corny joke is atrocious..." she muttered.

"Come on! It wasn't that bad!" Andy said defensively as he followed us across the small bridge over a 24 foot gap and entered the true entrance of Dorn's Deep.

We walked down the torch lit hallway, the walls made of brass rather than stone in stark contrast to the cavern it is built into. Up agead about 17 feet away I saw a bridge. Not a bridge mae out of wood, but out cement and stone, the same materials as the floor we are walking on. On the other side of the bridge are pathways that curve like an inverted "U", and there are three pathways, one to the left and right after we cross the bridge, and another that is straight ahead of us. Unfortunately we are not alone here. A small group of orogs and drow guarded the bridge. Most of the orogs are archers while there are some drow that are sorcerers and spellswords, which is no different from a bladesinger, the only difference is spells can be cast through their weapons. The drow and orcs weren't expecting to see us coming, and that gave us a few seconds to prepare ourselves before the orogs began firing arrows at us.

"Get around me!" Andy immediately exclaimed.

Without hesitation, we gathered around him, then he pulled out a scroll and began reading the words needed to cast the spell aloud. Then a sphere of magical energy formed up around us, and just in time, because the orogs on both sides began raining arrows down on us, and the magical shield that Andy put up around us deflected the arrows, protecting us all! I then realized that Andy had cast Protection From Normal Missiles to shield us from the arrows. Fortunately for us, the barrier deflected the arrows from coming in, not coming out, so Lysara, Felicia and I took this opportunity to fire our own projectiles at the orogs, and Andy joined in using his sling, throwing sling bullets at the orogs. Gorris, Ordmar and Xalorn charged ahead to attack the drown on the other end of the bridge. Despite the initial odds, we turned the fight against our favor, and the drow and orogs could not recover from it, not even the drow spellswords and their Stoneskin spells could not protect them from our onslaught. We eventually found a room where there is this big round table ornamented with dwarven inscriptions, twelve inscriptions on the outer ring and inner ring.

"Ordmar, what is this?" Gorris asked the dwarf.

Ordmar approached the round table and examined its inscriptions. After further examination and muttering to himself, he shook his head.

"This place seems to be a meeting hall, where important men sit around this very table. And these are just symbols, lads. I have no clue what they are here for," he confessed to us.

"Oh come on! You're a descendant of the dwarves of Dorn's Deep! You gotta know something about this place!" Andy urged impatiently.

"_I don't know, okay, blasted fool?!"_ Ordmar erupted angrily. Then in a calmer tone, he said. "I was born after they left this place. I only know about this place through the stories I've been told as a wee lad by me father..."

"We are wasting time here, we should continue searching for a way further into this place," Xalorn said, so we left the room.

We went from room to room, killing any drow, orog and orog who dared to get in our way. We found a passageway into another part of the caverns guarded by three drow vanguards and spellswords, and after killing them, we ventured into it.

* * *

We slowly ventured down its tunnels until we encountered an umber hulk, doing nothing but standing there, looking at us. We braced ourselves, ready to attack it, but we relented when we heard it speak. I know, umber hulks are not capable of speaking, to my knowledge.

"_Proceed... no further, travelers, as... I would... speak with you,_" he said, his tired, weary voice echoing in my head, indicating that he is speaking to us through telepathy.

"A talking umber hulk? Through telepathy, no less? I didn't realize your kind COULD speak," Andy said skeptically.

The creature shook his head. "_I... am not what... you see. I... was a master... transmuter. A... Red Wizard of Thay. My knowledge... vast and... aruu..._"

I haven't had any experience with Red Wizards, but I heard about them. An organization of arrogant and ambitious human mages and wizards who wear bright red robes that try to conquer Faerun, from what I hear.

"If you are a wizard, how did you come to be in this form?" I asked him.

The umber hulk placed both hands on his head, as if he has a severe migraine.

"_My name... is... was Saablic... Tan. Of my... mistakes... one grew tired... used my precious... magics to make... that which... I am. Having... much confusion as... days move on. Must... mm... tell you I... am frightened_."

He doesn't sound frightened in my opinion, he sounds like he just ran across a field for two hours without a break and is out of breath.

"Why are you frightened?" Lysara asked him.

"_Orogs that... roam these passages... my passages... are my... creation. They... have much contempt... for me. I cannot... leave. My form... my home... punishment for my... ambition. I... derived pleasure... for altering against... their will. I have... much regret_," Saablic replied.

We understood why the orogs rebelled against him. When you try to manipulate creatures against their will, they will fight back in any way necessary. As a ranger, I do the best I can to respect all of nature's living creatures, because if you respect them, sometimes they might respect you in return.

"Tell me, why should anyone feel sorry for you?" I asked him.

Saablic slumped down. "_What is done... is done. I cannot... excuse my actions... or my... intents. I am... not alone in... guilt and I... am consumed with... hatred for one... Responsibility... rests not... on my soul... alone. I am... but a pawn_."

"What do ye mean? Explain yourself," Ordmar said.

"_I must... be brief as... I grow tired. You can... help others... and help me. Within... these caves... the orogs have... a leader. Not only... that role... but another he... fills_," Saablic replied.

"What is this other role?" Felicia asked.

"_He is one... of six. His presence... and others... here to prevent... intrusion. Placed... by the one... that would wrong... myself and many... many others. Without his existence... his minions will... scatter... and the evil... drow weaker_."

"So you want us to dispose of this orog leader?" I asked.

"_I'm afraid... there may be... no other way. I remain... overcome... with guilt. I... cannot excuse... my actions however... my relevance... in this world... flickers and a... far greater injustice... burns bright_."

"All right, we will put an end to him," I agreed without hesitation.

Saablic straightened himself up with great difficulty. "_I... am very... grateful and know... your actions extend... beyond my... plight. Before you... leave... he will be... in possession of... a symbol. A... badge. You must obtain... this. Return with... thisand I... will know you... are true to... your word. I will attempt to provide... more insight then_."

We walked past Saablic and headed deeper into the tunnels for about three minutes, fighting our way past a few ettin, who proved to be no trouble to us when Andy slowed their movements down with the Slow spell. We eventually found a dead body. A body of a fair skinned human. From the look of his broken, mangled body, I assume that he had been clubbed to death by the ettin or orogs in this cavern.

"Poor fellow. Never had a chance," Andy said sympathetically while watching me kneel down and check his blood soaked rucksack near him. I dug inside and pulled out a journal.

"This man might have some vital information. I'll read it," I said, opening the book. Fortunately there is only one entry in it, making my search through the journal surprisingly easy. The journal also revealed that the name of its slain owner is Kalabac.

"_I'm afraid I may have been duped. Bandoth indicated where I might find the door to the forge, but I was unable to find any trace of it. I was prepared to search later on this evening, but a group of ettins have encamped the passage north of where I am now, and I am in no condition to be running past them. Hopefully, I will get another opportunity to search the old meeting hall of the dwarves. Earlier, I uncovered some writings regarding a room within these walls that leads to the lower segments of this complex, and I can only assume that this room lies beyond the door I have yet to find. To make matters worse, the same writings inferred that this room contained a puzzle that was designed to keep invaders from discovering and desecrating the cemetery and forge. Perhaps Bandoth can provide some more assistance."_

After I was done reading, Gorris started nodding profusely. "Okay, all right. No problem. All we have to do is find this Bandoth," he said.

"If he is still alive," I said gravely, quietly assuming that he is probably dead like Kalabac.

"If not, then we are back to square one," Andy said with as much worry as me.

After five minutes of wandering the caverns, we found the orog chieftain in his quarters, alone, and torturing a human man.

"Who are you? What you do here?" He asked us, speaking Common.

"We are searching for the orog chieftain," I replied.

"You have found him. What do you want?" he replied.

"We have come to obtain your badge, so I suggest you defend yourself," Xalorn blurted out eagerly, readying his morningstar and shield for combat.

"You will get nothing, and you will die."

"Oh, I beg to differ," Andy said, then cast Ray of Enfeeblement on the orog chieftain.

This certain spell weakens the muscles and bones of the target. All of a sudden the orog chieftain felt as if he needed a cane to walk, like an elderly human. Gorris and Xalorn wasted no time cutting and beating him down. Without the support of his fellow orogs, defeating the chieftain was easy, even if Andy didn't cast that spell on him.

After the chieftain lay on the ground, dead and blood gently leaking out from the wounds of his chest and arms, I checked his treasure chest and found a black steel plate bearing a red engraving of the orog chieftain's sigil, an open palm with a sphere levitating directly above it. I also saw a rolled up piece of paper near the badge. while everyone else checked on the man the orog was torturing, I red the note to Krilag, the name of the orog chieftain.

"_Chief Krilag,_

_As you know by now, your master and creator is gone. Malavon, Saablic's associate, will now be handling all magical affairs in the dome north of the Artisan's District. You are the strongest of your kind, and thus it is to you that I extend Saablic's badge of lieutenancy. Use it as a symbol of the authority that I have loaned to you. If ever you and the others need to have an audience with me, you must bring your badge with you. Think of it as a key- one of six keys to a lock. Do not lose it._

_I am placing you and the other orogs in charge of defending the upper reaches of Dorn's Deep. It is your new home. Do with it what you wish, but always submit to my will and the will of Ilmater. Your nearest peer is Kreg Frostbeard in Wyrm's Tooth. If you are in need of assistance, call upon him and his kin for aid. Defend the stronghold with your lives, for if you survive in failure, your suffering will be monumental._

_If you have trouble understanding any portion of this letter, have Adinirahe or one of the other drow mercenaries explain it to you._

_In the Blood of Our Father,_

_RBP"_

Meanwhile over to my companions while I was trying to figure out what "RBP" means, Felicia woke the tortured man up by gently slapping his face.

"Eh? Who are you?"

"We are friends. Who are you?" Felicia replied.

While Andy and Ordmar unlocked the shackles on the man's arms, he replied:

"If you must know, my name is Bandoth. I study magics. Now who are you and what are you doing here?"

At that moment I approached everyone with the note in my hand, and we introduced ourselves.

"Pleasure to meet you all, but you did not answer my other question."

"We are looking for the entrance to the lower parts of Dorn's Deep. Do you know about an umber hulk who claims to be the Red Wizard Saablic Tan?" I asked.

"Ahh, yes, the poor umber hulk. One can only hope the orogs finally discover him digging into oblivion down here. Do you realize he that he created those beasts?" Bandoth replied.

"Yes, he did mention something about it," I nodded.

"And most displeased with their new forms. Giving them the gift of enhanced logic only compounded their anger with that spineless transmuter. A perfect sentence for his practices, I say. I hope they discover and "transmute" him to little pieces!"

"Do you know of your friend Kalabar? He's dead, killed by ettins, and according to this journal I found, he believed that you lied to him regarding the location of the Dorn's Deep forge," I said, handing the journal to Bandoth.

Looking rather confused, he opened the journal and read it. As he read further into it, he began shaking his head in denial.

"No. No. No, no, no, this is ridiculous! I did not mislead him! Why on Toril would he think that?!" Bandoth shouted vehemently, throwing the journal down hard to the ground.

Silence fell around us, and Bandoth calmed down.

"All right. Look, I can prove that I did not dupe him. There is a reason why I believe the secret passage to the forge is somewhere in the meeting hall. I can help you find it," Bandoth said.

"That's why we are here with ye," Ordmar said.

"Well, what are we waiting for? We've no time to lose!" Bandoth exclaimed.

While backtracking our way back to where we entered these caverns, we found Saablic Tan where we last saw him, this time with Bandoth in tow with us.

"_You... have returned... Is the... deed done?_" He asked me.

"Yes. The orog chieftain is dead, and I have his badge right here," I said, showing the badge to Saablic for a few seconds, then placing it back in my bag.

Saablic's large mandibles clicked happily.

"_I am... forever in your debt... to you. I... cannot speak much... longer. I must... tell you that... each of the six... have such a... badge. Should you... go in search of... him you will... need to obtain... each of them. I... must... rest._" Then Saablic collapsed, not dead, just severely tired. Communicating telepathically must be a strain for him probably because umber hulks normally don't have that ability.

* * *

We made our way back to the meeting hall where that strange large table is, and the statues of seven dwarves under arches against the walls behind the table stood.

"All right, Bandoth, what is it that led you to believe that this place might have a secret entrance?" I asked.

Bandoth stoke his beard for a few seconds before responding.

"Well, let's take a look at the table first," he instructed.

We inspected the table with him, unsure of what he expects us to find.

"What do you see?" He asked us.

"The holy symbols of the dwarf gods," Ordmar said.

Bandoth nodded. "Exactly, but do you know how many dwarf gods there are?" He asked.

Ordmar stroked his beard in thought for a few seconds.

"Uh... twelve or thirteen, I think," Ordmar guessed.

"That's right! But take a look at the outer and inner circles of the table and tell me why we only see the symbols of Moradin in the outer circles, the symbols of Clangeddin in the first inner circle, and the holy symbols of Berronar Truesilver in the second inner circle?"

None of us replied to Bandoth. When he realized that no answer is forthcoming, he continued on.

"If this table was meant to display all of the holy symbols of the goodly dwarf gods of the dwarven pantheon, we would be seeing more than Maradin, Clangeddin and Berronar's holy symbols here! This table is not a puzzle, it is a clue," Bandoth said with an enthusiastic smile, then looked over at Xalorn.

"A clue for what?" Xalorn snorted.

"Ah, that is the mystery that has left me stumped, including Kalabac, which explains why he believed that I duped him. I did not dupe him, he was looking for the puzzle this table is inferring to in the wrong places."

"But where are we supposed to look?" Andy asked.

"I don't know, I've only gotten this far," Bandoth said.

While we were arguing, Lysara, out of curiosity, examined the statues of dwarves under arches against the wall. She noticed that all of them carried a war hammer in their right hands, and all but one of the statues held them straight up, the wooden handles touching the floor. Lysara approached the statue with the war hammer facing down. She tried to pull it up to be upright like the others, but it never budged, not even an inch. Then, Lysara slowly turned her attention to the statue to the left of the one with the war hammer down. She inspected the other statue next to it and noticed that she felt a slight breeze coming form the sides of the wall the statue is propped up against under the arch. She pushed the statue and discovered that it is budging!

We stopped arguing and noticed that Lysara found the secret room and didn't tell us about it!

"Well... I'll be damned," Bandoth said in awe.

"Whoo! Way to go, Lysara!" Andy cheered.

We followed Lysara through the passageway she discovered, and we found ourselves in a large room, and in the center of the floor is a much larger version of the patterns that are on the table in the room we were previously in, the only difference is this one has much more holy symbols than Moradin, Clangeddin and Berronar's holy symbols!

"Ha ha! Yes! We found it at last!" Bandoth exclaimed with glee.

"So what do we do? This thing is MUCH bigger than the other one on the table!" Gorris exclaimed.

Bandoth frowned and scratched his beard.

"All right, I'm just speculating, but I think that one of us must step on the correct stone tile according to the clues on the table we saw back in the other room," Bandoth said.

"What happens if we step on the wrong tile?" Andy asked, feeling a bit anxious.

Bandoth scowled at him. "Must I spell it out for you, you daft boy? If you step on the wrong tile, you'll either be injured, or dead."

"Don't call me a boy, old man! I'm only 24 years old, so that makes me a young man, mind you!" Andy snapped angrily.

Bandoth smiled. "Thank you for volunteering!" He proudly exclaimed.

Andy's angry scowl turned into a confused frown. "What?"

"Since you claim that you are a man, I want you to prove that you are. I want you to go out there and solve this puzzle for us."

Andy gasped, then gulped nervously, worried that he might step on the wrong tile.

"What's the matter, boy? Tressym got your tongue? Listen, don't worry, I'll guide you through this, you should be safe in my hands..."

"That does not make me feel any more comfortable..." Andy shuddered.

"Just get out there!" Xalorn shoved Andy.

Then he reluctantly followed Bandoth to the edge of the floor ornamented with dwarven inscriptions.

"All right, old man. What's the first step," Andy asked Bandoth, then looked back at me and everyone else.

"First, I need you to step on the stone tile with the holy symbol of Moradin. It is a blacksmith hammer and a anvil. Follow me, and we'll find it," Bandoth replied. Andy followed Bandoth counter-clockwise to the 2:00 position of the outer circle.

"Okay, here it is. Step on it," Bandoth instructed.

Andy felt his legs grow numb with fear, and he reluctantly placed his right foot on the stone tile with Moradin's holy symbol engraved on the stone surface. When Andy placed both legs on the tile, he felt the tile sink down a few inches, then we all heard a loud click, followed by eleven similar sounding clicks that are echoing around the room.

Bandoth and Andy looked up at the ceiling, their faces covered in sweat.

"I think we are on the right track," Bandoth said after exhaling in relief.

"Now what?" Andy asked.

"Now, we must find the holy symbol of Clangeddin, which are two war axes crossed together in the shape of an X," Bandoth explained.

They walked along the outer circle clockwise until they found Clangeddin's holy symbol at the 6:00 position to the left from Haela Brightaxe's holy symbol, which is a longsword with inscriptions on the blade.

"There we are. Step on the one with the two axes crossed together," Bandoth instructed Andy.

Fortunately Andy felt a little more confident at Bandoth's judgment, even though he is still a bit nervous, but he managed to step on the tile, and once again, we heard the clicking noises echoing around the room somewhere.

"Ha ha! We did it! Only one more step to go! Now you must step on the holy symbol of Berronar Truesilver, which are two rings connected to each other."

Andy had no trouble finding this holy symbol in the smallest inner circle. He found it in the 10:00 position, then he stepped on it without urging from Bandoth. Then, we heard more clicking noises, then we heard a new noisea loud clattering coming from the round table room.

"We must go back!" Bandoth exclaimed.

We returned to the round table room and found nothing out of the ordinary before we solved the puzzle.

"What?! We solved the puzzle! What now?!" Andy exclaimed.

Lysara suddenly recalled the hammer she tried to lift up before discovering the secret passage.

"Hey, guys!" She exclaimed, catching our attention, then we watched her walk over to the statue to our left and then she pulled it up with ease, straightening it into the proper position like all the other statues around it. Then suddenly we heard a very loud clattering noise coming from the room behind the secret door.

Without saying a word, we rushed back inside the room and found a spiraling staircase where the second inner circle used to be!

"Oh my gods! We found it! We finally found it!" Bandoth laughed happily, then he ran for the stairs ahead of us!

"Bandoth! Wait!" I exclaimed.

We followed him down the spiraling stairs, trying to catch up with him and stop him before he gets himself hurt or killed. When we reached the bottom of the stairs, we saw large, creaking gears and cogs on the side of the wall that operated the mechanisms responsible for revealing the stairs to this place, and we saw Bandoth ahead of us running for the exit ahead. I noticed a decomposing dead body lying ahead of him, and what surprised me is Bandoth never noticed the body.

"Bandoth, no! Come back!" I exclaimed urgently, but I called him too late.

As soon as Bandoth passed by the dead body, he spring a trap, and I saw three darts fly out from among the gears to the left and strike Bandoth in the abdomen, causing him to scream in apin and bend over until he could not find the string the stay standing and collapse on the ground.

We rushed over to help him, but by the time we got to him, he died. I checked the darts embedded in his stomach and noticed that the darts that hit him were not normal darts, they are +2 Fire Darts. No wonder he let out such an agonized scream before he died, the fire in the darts was burning his intestines.

"... Rest in peace, Bandoth..." I whispered as I stood up.

I saw Gorris check the body of the other man and found a note.

"Hey, Jovan, guys. Take a look at this," Gorris said.

The note had been written by the man seconds before he died. That probably means it wasn't +2 Fire Darts that killed him unlike Bandoth, it was was three Darts of Wounding. I know because they are still attached to his decomposing skin.

"_This trap has left me for dead, but it's just as well. I have felt the evil within me since the moment I stepped foot in this crypt. My actions are no longer my own, my thoughts confused, my will gone. Perhaps another will discover the disturbance before it manages to overcome them._

_I found another route through a gaping hole in one of the prison cells in the orog-infested area above this chamber, but that led to yet more of their foul kind and a large, grotesque beast that I could have sworn was speaking with me. Perhaps the evil was within my mind even then_."

"So, this man has met Saablic too, huh?" I said aloud while folding the paper then handing it to Andy so he can put it in his scroll case.

"Seems like it. We better get going," Ordmar said, then we proceeded to head for the exit.

* * *

We found ourselves in the forge. There is a giant beautiful monument of a dwarf holding what looks like a pottery over a large brass cauldron probably to represent dwarven craftsmanship in the art of metallurgy in between two winding stars leading up to the upper level of the forge and into the crypts.

"Wow... Look at that piece of work," Gorris said, admiring the dwarf monument.

"Yeah, it's beautiful. But isn't it supposed to pour something into the cauldron? Like magma or something?"

Andy asked.

"Yer a bright lad sometimes, Andy," Ordmar said.

"Oh. Thanks... Wait, what?"

Before we could speak another word, we saw a ghost of a dwarf descend down towards us without having to travel down the stairs!

"Defilers! Have you too come to desecrate the remains of our home?" He demanded, his voice echoing around the forge.

"No, absolutely not," I shook my head in denial.

"Then why do you disturb this Temple of Moradin?" The ghost asked us.

"Who are you?" Ordmar asked.

"I am known as Norlinor. While alive, I served as a priest of Moradin for our church here with Dorn's Deep. Specifically, I was given the title Artisan of the Forge, and it was my duty to maintain this place. I died defending this temple... I did not anticipate revisiting it in the afterlife."

"Do you know why you were brought back here after you died?" Felicia asked.

"The presence of Terikan, the necromancer who has taken up residence in the Tiers of the Dead, has quenched the flames that gave the forge life. With the forge cold, the spirits of the dead have become restless, forced from their tombs into servitude for that monster. Almost all of the dead of Dorn's Deep are now enslaved to Terikan... I fear I am the only one who remains free," Norlinor replied.

"What can be done about this?" Gorris asked the ghost.

"Terikan's transformation into a lich has caused enough negative energy to be drawn to the area that even our forges and machines have been affected. Perhaps destroying Terikan could bring the forge to life again. One thing is for certain: as long as the forge remains cold, the spirits of Dorn's Deep are denied our final rest," Norlinor replied solemnly.

"We will help you with Terikan but first, I have questions I want answered. What caused the fall of Dorn's Deep?" I asked.

"Two catastrophes occurred within Dorn's Deep. The first was the destruction of our community at the hands of the orcs. More recently, there has been the occupation of our cemetery, the tiers of the Dead, by the necromancer Terikan. Throughout the history of Dorn's, we've always had to contend with the orc hordes that threatened our way of life. However, thanks to inspired diplomacy between the leaders of our community and the elves of the Severed Hand, we forged an alliance that kept both out of our homes safe from harm."

"What happened then?" Ordmar asked, growing more and more curious.

"Corruption from within led to a falling out between our peoples. No longer organized into an effective, cohesive whole, it was only a matter of time before the orcs overran both settlements," Norlinor replied.

"What was the cause of the corruption?" I asked, eager to get someone of Dorn's Deep's side of the story.

"I am not certain, but it was apparent, at least from our perspective, that someone was deliberately attempting to seed mistrust between the dwarven and elven communities. When the orcs began appearing far better equipped than in times previous, the elves began to suspect that dwarven smithies were in league with the horde."

"Why would they think you'd supply your enemies with weapons?" Lysara asked.

"The elves felt we could not control our appetite for gold, so we were accused of providing the orcs with superior armaments. Later, the elves took their accusations a step further and accused us of arming the orcs with the intention of having them destroy the Severed Hand."

"Who was providing the orcs with the weapons and armaments?" I asked.

"Not any dwarf within Dorn's Deep, I can tell you that much. We were warriors, not betrayers. If truth be told, I believe both communities were deceived by someone within one of our own families. I know not who, but I hope that when that person meets their end they feel the pain of every dwarf and elf that lost their lives," Norlinor said.

"Oh we will make sure of that," Ordmar said, cracking his knuckles.

"Tell us about this Terikan now," I instructed.

"Terikan is a wretched necromancer that came to Dorn's Deep shortly after the strife that put an end to our community. He was aware of the tragedy that gripped Dorn's Deep, and knew it would serve as fertile ground to continue his "research"."

"Research?" Andy repeated.

"During the construction of the Deep, we had the misfortune of uncovering a cavern that housed an ancient vortice from the Negative Energy Plane. Now, I don't know if some being from that plane felt our presence, or if the vortice itself was disturbed by the intrusion, but shortly thereafter, undead began to appear.

"And these undead invaded Dorn's Deep?" Andy spoke up.

"At first it was merely a skeleton or two, nothing we couldn't handle, but over time, we received more and more reports of undead sightings. In the end, I don't think any of us were prepared for what would become known as the "Battle of the Dead."

"How did the battle begin?" Gorris asked.

"One morning, our community awoke to the screams of the son of Jamoth. He's been playing withing some of the caves near the forge and claimed he had seen a small group of skeletons, We sent a few men down to investigate. They returned... badly wounded. Hundred of skeletons, zombies, ghouls and other undead had suddenly appeared in the vortice cave, preparing to attack the settlement. With time working against us, we assembled our remaining soldiers and went forth to vanquish the deceased," Norlinor explained.

"But hundreds of undead with even great numbers to follow... the dwarves would have been greatly outnumbered," I said.

"No Dorn's dwarf would concede defeat while our community was threatened. Our wounded began to accumulate, and many of our brethren joined their attackers in spiritual unrest that day. Just as it appeared that we might have to retreat, a miracle occurred."

"A miracle?" Felicia frowned.

"From within the tides of flesh and bone emerged Jamoth, hacking at the dead around him with a fevered glee, bellowing with laughter. With each swing of his weapon, the undead around him disintegrated, regardless of whether he struck them or not. It was a beautiful sight to see, my friends," Norlinaor said.

"Amazing..." Ordmar whispered.

"So the undead fell around him just by his presence... how is that possible?" I asked.

"Jamoth, and our community, were touched by Moradin that day. We later discovered the vortice that had brought forth the undead was somehow reversed, returning the spirits to their home within the Plane of Negative Energy."

"Then Terikan came along. As a necromancer, he must have heard about the vortice, correct?" Andy asked.

"Yes. Once our community no longer inhabited these chambers, Terikan took up residence in the Hall of Heroes with a determination to restore the vortice. He is convinced that if he unlocks its secrets, he will be able to manipulate other vortices throughout Faerun," Norlinor replied.

"How? Vortices are portals that can't be controlled. It seems the energies of the vortice would kill any man that approached it.," Andy said.

"Terikan knew no mortal man could ever master the vortice. Shortly after his arrival in our home, he began preparing himself for the rituals necessary to become a lich. Fortunately, Terikan must have neglected some of the proper enchantments, as the powers he wields are inferior to much of his kind," Nolinor said.

This is good news, this means we have a chance of defeating him rather than die trying, because normally liches are very powerful undead creatures.

"If this is true, can you stop him?" Gorris asked.

"Terikan is much more powerful than I. I am fortunate I continue to inhabit these chambers with my own mind. Once Terikan learns of any dead within these halls, he seeks to destroy their will with his necromantic arts. Anything that lives, he slays."

"Even though he is a lich, he is not indestructible. We can destroy him," Xalorn said adamantly.

"That would not be an easy task," Norlinor said, unconvinced. "You cannot destroy Terikan by striking him down. It is his life force that sustains him, not his shell."

"Life force?" I asked in confusion.

"Liches store their life forces within specially constructed phylacteries. Most liches go to great lengths to protect their phylacteries, often placing them in remote locations where no one can find them, then safeguarding them with enchantments. Terikan, however, feels his phylactery is safest close to him, and he has placed it within a crypt in the Hall of Heroes."

"So all we have to do is reach there and destroy it?" Felicia asked.

"The phylactery is not something that can be destroyed by common means... to destroy it, you'll need to remove it from this plane, a daunting task, to be certain," Norlinor said doubtfully.

"No less daunting than the other impossibilities we've been forced to endure in coming North... how can we remove this phylactery from this plane?" I asked.

"That is where fortune favors us. The very vortice that Terikan is studying can destroy him as well. It lies withing the Hall of Heroes, inside the tomb of Jamoth. Any undead being, regardless of power, is pulled back to that dreadful plane of existence upon entry into the tomb. That is why I have never been able to enter the tomb myself," Norlinor replied, sounding hopeful now.

"So we would need to take the phylactery inside Jamoth's tomb to destroy Terikan? That doesn't sound too hard," Gorris said.

"Ah, but to reach the Hall of Heroes, you will need ot pass through the Tiers of the Dead, where Terikan resides. Not only that, but the great door to the Hall of Heroes is locked, and I'm certain Terikan possesses the key. If you defeat Terikan's physical form, make haste for the Hall of Heroes, for he will only be subdued for a short while," Norlinor warned us.

"Thank you for the advice, Norlinor. Let's get moving," I said, then we went up one of the winding stairs and walked down the corridor to the Tiers of the Dead.

* * *

We made our way down the long corridor to the cemetery. When we entered the cemetery, we noticed that the walkways are most likely built upon hundreds of interred, because the walkway ahead is flanked by a deep chasm made up of interred along the walls. On the other side of the walkway up the small flight of stairs only a few feet in front of the door leading to the Hall of Heroes stood Terikan himself, a human lich wearing dirty, tattered clothes, his skin has already become gray and rotten, and as far as I can tell from this distance, his eyes have not decayed yet, but they are still useful and attached in his skull.

He immediately noticed us, and so did the zombies, ghouls and ghasts.

"Well, well, well... Visitors!" He exclaimed loudly like a game host. "I was not expecting guests to arrive unannounced, let alone a rag-tag group of adventurers. Do you know who I am, mortals? I am Terikan, master of the undead!"

At this moment, his undead surrounded us, over 34 of them, too much to fight!

"You don't scare us, lich," Gorris said defiantly.

"Hmm, big talk coming from a Barbarian. And for the record, it is not my intention to scare you. My intention is to add you to my collection of undead servants. When you are stripped from your mortal shells, I will rob of your free will once you are dead, and make you one of my many obedient slaves while I continue the most important research of my life!"

"Over our dead bodies!" Andy exclaimed.

Terikan laughed. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! ... That's the plan. Minions, slay my uninvited guests," he commanded.

"Ready?" Andy whispered.

I nodded. While we were walking down the corridor before we entered the cemetery, we knew we would be outnumbered by undead, and we had a plan. All of us drank a Potion of Fire Resistance before we revealed ourselves to Terikan.

As the undead slowly closed in on us, Andy started laughing, which confused Terikan greatly.

"Oh what's so funny, mageling?" He asked Andy.

"You'll see soon enough," Andy replied while digging in his pocket for a handful of sulfur, a component needed to cast a potent fireball. Then he prepared to cast the spell. Terikan was confused at first, then he got the shock of his life when he saw Andy cast the fireball down in between his feet, engulfing us, and the undead surrounding us in a fiery explosion that extended in a 15 feet radius! We were unharmed, but most of the zombies had been burned to ash by the explosion, effectively reducing the number of Terikan's undead minions from 34 to 10!

"What the hell...!? No way! Impossible! Get them! Kill them!" Terikan ordered his remaining undead servants.

We charged our way through the middle walkway, fighting past the undead to reach Terikan. Gorris, Ordmar and Xalorn struck down each zombie or pushed them off the walkway so they can fall more than a hundred feet to their doom while Lysara, Felicia and I fired crossbow bolts and arrows at Terikan.

Our element of surprise caught Terikan completely off guard, and we need to put the pressure on him to keep him from recovering and casting a spell that could turn the tables. Some of our arrows and quarrels missed, but some of them hit their mark on Terikan's chest. I don't know if liches feel pain, but he staggered back a bit each time he got shot, then he pulled Lysara and Felicia's arrows out of his chest. Now that there is no more zombies between us and Terikan, Gorris, who is leading the charge, came running at Terikan, ready to slice and dice his decaying body with his two +3 battle axes, Benorg's Truth and a battle axe that causes a victim to feel fatigued if struck with a non-fatal blow. Terikan waited for Gorris to come close, then he cast the Burning Hands spell!

Gorris, while running at Terikan, dropped down to his knees and slid under the cone of fire emerging from Terikan's rotten hands, then when he slid close enough to Terikan, he went to town on his body with his battle axes, striking him three times, and causing Terkin to stagger back away from him. Then he saw Xalorn and Ordmar coming. He cast a Magic Missile at Ordmar, which was a bad move because Ordmar simply blocked it with his shield, slowing him down. Now Xalorn and Gorris double teamed Terikan, attacking him ferociously with their weapons, bringing him down to his knees. Norlinor was right about one thing, Terikan is terribly weak compared to how powerful a lich should be, he could barely recover from our onslaught, he tried to cast Stoneskin on himself, but his spell ended up getting disrupted when Ordmar smacked him across the face with Conlan's special war hammer, sending him reeling and dislocating his jaw. He tried to cast another Magic Missile at us, the only spell that takes a second to cast without facing the risk of having his strongest spell disrupted when we attack him. We had him, and he knew it, yet he still tried to fight back, refusing to concede defeat even though he knows that once he falls, his hidden phylactery will reconstruct his decaying body.

Terikan now felt dizzy, as if the world around him is going out of focus slowly. The last thing he saw was Ordmar jumping at him from standing atop a coffin for height advantage, and slamming his war hammer down on Terikan's head, breaking it like a grape. Now, for Terikan, the world had gone completely dark around him.

"Check his body for the key, quick!" Ordmar urged me.

I didn't want to touch his rotten clothing, but I had to. I checked his pockets until I found the key to the Hall of Heroes.

"Found it! Let's go!" I exclaimed.

We ran for the door and I fumbled with the key for a few seconds before I managed to fit it into the key hole and twist it, unlocking the door. Then we wasted no time pushing the door open together. Meanwhile, Terikan's broken skull is slowly being reconstructed by magical means.

We found ourselves in the Hall of Heroes, a 30 feet long hallway with a door at he very end and many doors on both sides of us, some of them have a statue of a hero in front of them, heroes who died honorably.

"We need to find Terikan's tomb, quick!" I exclaimed urgently.

We began to systematically check the tombs. While we frantically searched, I was drenched with sweat, all of my companions were, knowing that we have a short time on our hands before Terikan is up and on our heels again.

"Found it yet?!" I heard Xalorn exclaim.

"No!" Andy called back, emerging from Jameth's tomb.

"Nothing!" Felicia said, emerging from Evath's tomb.

"Come on, people! We don't have much time!" Gorris exclaimed after he came out of Briath's tomb.

After a minute of searching the tombs, we finally found Terikan's tomb, which is directly across the hall from Evayne's tomb and statue.

I ran over to the coffin and opened the lid, revealing a small green jewel inside.

"Here! I found it!" I exclaimed. I picked up the phylactery and felt overwhelming unease just holding it so close to me.

"All right, bring it to Jamoth's tomb, hurry!" Andy urged.

I bolted out of Terikan's tomb first... then suddenly I felt cold hands grab my neck from my right and slowly lifted me up, causing me to choke!

"You dare soil your hands on my phylactery, you filth?!" Terikan sneered.

I kicked him in the chest, causing him to let go of me and I collapsed on the floor. I couldn't stand up, because I am still coughing, and Terikan towered over me. At that moment, Gorris brought his Fatigue inducing war axe down on Terikan's left shoulder, and I saw everyone emerge from Terikan's tomb and run down the hallway! Terikan shook off Gorris's battle axe and elbowed him in the jaw, causing him to collapse while stunned, then Terikan cast the Slow spell on everyone except Andy because he is out of range.

"Jovan! Throw me the phylactery!" Andy exclaimed.

I threw the jewel at him, and Terikan tried to grab it, but he missed grabbing it, but he settled on firing a Magic Missile at Andy, and Andy got hit as soon as he caught the phylactery, getting knocked down on his feet.

"Go, Andy! Go!" I yelled frantically.

Feeling burning pain in his chest, Andy summoned all his strength and started crawling on his arms towards Jamoths' tomb, with Terikan walking towards him 20 feet away and closing fast.

"He's not going to make it!" Gorris exclaimed.

"He's going to make it!" Ordmar shot back.

Andy climbed up the small steps and crawled into the tomb. He only managed to get his torso inside before Terikan grabbed him by his legs, pulling him back!

"Aah! No!" Andy yelped trying to kick his legs loose.

"Give me back my phylactery, mageling, or you will suffer greatly!" Terikan sneered.

Finally mustering some courage, Andy faced Terikan and cast a Chromatic Orb at him, dealing fire damage!

Terikan shrieked and used his hands to put out the fire on his clothes, buying Andy enough time to crawl into the tomb. He tried to crawl towards Jamoth's coffin, but Terikan recovered sooner than he expected!

Andy felt cold, dead hands grab him by the neck and hoisted him up like a rag doll, and he found himself looking into the cold eyes of the lich.

"I am going ot enjoy ending your life, mageling," Terikan sneered.

Andy felt something tugging at the phylactery in his right hand and he let it go. He watched the phylactery rise up towards the ceiling then it disappeared in midair. Then suddenly Terikan began screaming in Andy's face, as if someone had poked him with a hot iron, then he lost his grip on Andy, causing him to collapse to the ground, then when Andy looked up, he saw Terikan disappear into thin air just like the phylactery did, and he could still hear the lich's howl fading away in his ears.

Soon the Slow spell that prevented us form coming to Andy's aid wore off, and we rushed over to Jamoth's tomb to see if he is all right.

"Andy!" I exclaimed.

"Andy! Are you all right?!" Felicia exclaimed, rushing over to Andy and helping him stand up.

"Y... yes... I'll be fine," he said in a hoarse, raspy whisper.

"Whew! We thought you were a goner!" Gorris sighed in relief.

"I thought I was too..." Andy said with a smile.

"So, now that the lich is gone for good, I suppose we can go back to the forge, right?" Lysara asked.

"Yes, but first, let's check Evayne's tomb and see if she left anything that would prove the dwarves are innocent," I said.

* * *

We found ourselves standing in front of Evayne's statue carved to her exact likeness and the tomb behind it. The statue of Evayne depicts her as having long hair, nearly slender body, full bosom and raising her sword high above her head as if preparing to deliver a powerful strike to her enemy, and her beautiful face is etched with angry determination, defending the dwarves from the orc hordes after being wrongly accused by her father and elf kin for a crime they never committed. Gorris and Andy were looking at Evayne's statue while the rest of us were in her tomb, checking for a journal or note or something.

"Kinda makes you wonder, doesn't it?" Gorris asked Andy.

"Wonder what?" Andy replied in confusion, looking at Gorris.

"Whether the dwarves admired her because she was brave, or because she had a nice rack," Gorris said with a grin.

Andy scowled at him in shame.

"You're a pervert, you know that?" he shook his head.

"Hey, I'm just pointing out the obvious," Gorris said defensively.

"Still, it makes you a pervert," Andy sighed.

Meanwhile inside her tome, I found her journal in a box next to her coffin.

"Here it is," I said, then began reading.

"_The last few weeks have been a blur, but I will recount as best as I can._

_Arriving at Dorn's Deep in the middle of the night did not lead ot a warm welcome by the dwarves, especially with what had come to pass between both our races. As expected, the dwarves were very apprehensive of what I had to say. There were too many fresh and open wounds between both our peoples. Situations like this are never easy, but I consider myself as good a diplomat as Father, perhaps better._

_Each day spent in council did not end until late evening, and always in pure exhaustion. We argued and bickered over the recent past events. Although we continued to spend countless hours in council, the dwarves began to trust that I hid no maliciousness behind my words. The dwarves agreed to a treaty in the name of the greater good for both our races later that week. I had been successful in my part. I saw hope for the first time in many months._

_The only thing left was to return home and convince my own people that this was our only chance at true salvation. The hardest part would be to convince Father, but he will listen. He must listen; else let our people face death._

_The next morning almost made the last few weeks' work in vain. A dwarven scout arrived and told us the largest orcish army he had ever seen was only hours away. With little time to prepare, our defenses were overrun and the orcs began to pour into Dorn's Deep. _

_We began our retreat into the depths of Dorn's Deep. Key passages were collapsed ot cover our movements and buy us time. Even in such dire conditions, this allowed the dwarves to control when and where we would fight. Every battle cost the orcs dearly, as the dwarves fought on their terms, but we were still being driven farther and farther back. Even now, we make preparations to retreat further into Wyrm's Tooth Glacier._

_Even as grim as this sounds, I still hold hope. Hope that I will tell Father of how I fought side by side with our dwarven friends as in days of old. Hope that he will hear tales of the dwarves who sacrificed their lives so that I may return home someday to reunite both our peoples. Hope to see my father's stubborn face once again._

_For my people and the Seldarine's Hand,_

_Evayne_"

"My gods... Larrel will need to see this," I said.

"Uh, Jovan, do you remember how far it is between here and Seldarine's Hand. We can't detour back yet, we can go back after we've defeated the evil plaguing Kuldahar!" Felicia exclaimed.

"What if we walk past the point of no return? What if we won't get a chance to return and tell him if we continue forward? I say we should detour back to Seldarine's Hand, tell Larrel the truth about his daughter and the dwarves, and put his mind at peace," I retorted.

"Why? Why sacrifice the greater good for something small?" Felicia asked.

"No good is too big or too small. Evayne knew this. I know how it feels not to be at peace for so many years like Larrel, wallowing in sadness and hatred over people who I believe took away a loved one," I said.

Felicia blinked in surprise.

"For decades, I blamed the Company of the Gauntlet for my wife's death, and all this time, I never realized that the truth is no one was responsible for her fate. She chose to be with them to the bitter end because she loved doing what she did. No one stole her away from me, adventuring is what she wanted to do, alongside me, and our friends." I paused for a second, tears falling from my eyes. "I'm done letting my sadness and anger consume me. It's time I released Larrel from his."


	8. Chapter 8 Into Dorn's Deep part 2

When we returned to the forge, we were welcomed by the warm air coming from magma. We descended down the stairs and saw Norlinor standing in front of the tall dwarven statue pouring an endless stream of hot magma into the ancient metallurgical furnace, the source of the heat in this room. He noticed us coming down the stairs and said to us:

"As the hearth warms the room, so is my heart warmed knowing that my brothers will return to their rest. We owe you much, travelers."

"I'm glad we could help," I said, being the first to reach the end of the stairs.

"If you gaze upon the forge, you will not notice the outline of a receptacle," Norlinor told us, pointing at the base of the furnace. "Within it is a key to the door in the Hall of Heroes that leads to Wyrm's Tooth Glacier. I have faith that the answers you seek will become clearer once you reach the glacier. Thank you again, friends- and may Moradin smile upon you."

"You're welcome... rest now, Norlinor," I replied, then Norlinor vanished into thin air.

"He said the key is in here, right?" Gorris pointed at the slot on furnace.

"Yes, he did," I nodded, then approached the furnace, inserted my hand into the slot and pulled out the key that unlocks the door to Wyrm's Tooth Glacier.

"Now what? Do we still go back to Severed Hand and tell Larrel the truth about everything?" Felicia asked.

"Yes. I haven't changed my mind about that," I said.

We retraced our steps back to the blue mushroom forest cavern then left the cavern heading towards Severed Hand which is 3 days south from Dorn's Deep, as I recall.

We finally returned to Severed Hand after 3 days and ten hours of traveling, and we made our way up to the tower where Larrel is, and that is exactly where we found him, and believe me, he was surprised to see us return six days after we left.

"You have returned. Why? Did you forget something here?" Larrel asked us in confusion.

"We found another journal in your daughter's tomb in the Hall of Heroes. This may shed some light on what truly became of your daughter," I handed him the journal.

We watched patiently as Larrel read the journal, and even though he can't shed tears anymore, or show any kind of emotional expression, I can tell that he is now realizing how much of a fool he was. After he read the journal, he turned his attention to us.

"Once again, I am humbled by the mistakes I made when I was alive. I am a fool. The dwarves did not murder my daughter. She fought side by side with the dwarves, as did I in a time almost forgotten, until the end. Evayne died as one of the greatest heroes of the Hand. Once again, you have my eternal gratitude. If you'll excuse me, I have much to contemplate," he told us.

"I understand. If you need us, we will be in the slave quarters on the 4th floor," I said, then we departed Labelas Tower.

* * *

Later that night, Felicia came to visit me in my quarters. I expected her to come to me alone, after the disagreement we had back in the Hall of Heroes. I was sitting on my bed lost in my thoughts until Felicia entered my room.

"I knew I would be seeing me in private eventually," I said to Felicia after she shut the door behind her.

She shook her head slowly and sighed.

"I owe you an apology," she said.

"You don't owe me anything," I politely rebuffed her with a reassuring smile.

"Yes, I do. I... have been doing my own contemplating for a while, and I understand that you were right in coming back here to tell Larrel the truth about his daughter and the dwarves. No one deserves to mire themselves in sadness or anger for so long... and especially not you."

I frowned. "What do you mean by "especially not me"?" I asked.

"Ordmar told me about how you lost your wife," Felicia revealed.

"Oh. That," I almost muttered, breaking eye contact from Felicia for a few seconds, but I managed to focus on her eyes again. "I'm over it now, it doesn't matter," I assured her.

Felicia sat down on the bed next to me.

"Are you sure?" She asked me.

"Yes. Like Ordmar told me before, I should let old ghosts rest. I have my whole life ahead of me, and I should focus on that and hold on to the memories of my late wife. Though the memories give me great pain, the pain reminds me that I am still alive, I can still feel emotions," I said.

Then, at that moment, Felica slowly leaned her face close to mine.

"I can help you make new memories... if you like," she said in a seductive whisper.

I was completely caught off guard.

"Felicia... I... I..." I continued stammering.

There is no denying it, Felicia is beautiful, but not once have I ever thought about laying in bed with her.

"What are you afraid of...?" Felicia asked me.

"I... I am not afraid..." I managed to say, feeling my body grow numb with fear and excitement all at once.

"Then why do you pull away from me? Part of moving on with your life is making new memories. I know that I cannot replace your love, but I am not here to replace her, I am here to help you find happiness in your life. I'm sure that is what she would want me to do for you, too," Felicia said.

Words can't describe how I felt once she said that. I cried, both on the outside and inside... I feel blessed that I met her, Ordmar and everyone else. It seems that the fates put me on this path to help liberate me from my sorrows.

"... Thank you, Felicia... From the bottom of my heart, thank you. May Silvanus smile upon you," I said as I placed my forehead in contact with her forehead, then an a matter of seconds we started kissing each other.

I was lost in a sea of emotions as we kissed. I only remember the details in brief flashes. I remember my body entwined with Felicia's as we kissed, and I think I recall that we undressed ourselves too. We never noticed it when we were making love, but Andy walked in on us with the intent of telling me something, and when he saw Felicia and I making passionate love, his face flushed red with anger, clenching his fists in rage, but instead of interrupting us, he quietly left, closing the door as if he was never there. I never experienced so much bliss and joy in my life before I met Felicia. Making love with her felt therapeutic to me in many ways. And also, as a result of our lovemaking, we also made something else. I'll explain it later, after I get through the part when we finally defeat the one responsible for the evil plaguing Kuldahar.

* * *

The next morning we returned to Labelas Tower to check on Larrel. He had his back turned on us when we came up the stairs, but he knew we arrived, and none of us had to say anything to let him know that we are there.

"For the first time in many centuries, I remember what it feels like to be at peace. I thank you for giving that back to me," he said to us.

"What will you do now?" I asked.

"I will remain here in the Hand to ensure that any elves here will make it to the afterlife. Perhaps then, Labelas will grant me passage to Arvandor," Larrel replied.

"That's good to hear. We just wanted to say a final goodbye before we return to Dorn's Deep and finish what we started. Farewell, and may Silvanus smile upon you," I said.

Larrel nodded politely.

"Goodbye, my friends. Thank you for everything," he said before we descended down the stairs.

As soon as we left the Hand, we began the long walk back to Dorn's Deep.

3 days later in the evening, we returned to Dorn's Deep. We entered the cavern, made our way through the mushroom forest, entered the true entrance to Dorn's Deep, headed into the secret room hidden behind the meeting hall table, descended downstairs, passed by the bodies of Bandoth and the other man, passed through the warm forge, passed through the crypts and walked down the Hall of Heroes towards the door at the very end of the hall. I used the key I got from the forge before we left on our return to Severed Hand to unlock the door, and it worked, just like Norlinor said it would. With the door open, we walked through the cavern on our way to Wyrm's Tooth Glacier. Gradually the hewn passageway transitioned from stone to ice as if the dwarves ran out of room within the mountain and expanded their tunnels into the adjoining glacier. Icy blasts of wind whipped through the passage, chilling us to t the bone almost, if it weren't for our thick cloaks we keep with us. We followed the winding tunnel through the glacier and out onto the frozen surface above.

We found ourselves standing not far from what appears to be a large palace covered in snow. It doesn't look like any palace I've ever seen, it seems very wide, from where we stand, but there seems to be no upper floors to the building. More importantly, it is so cold out here, every time we exhale, we can clearly but briefly see our breath turn into vapor for a few seconds.

"What is that place?" Andy wondered aloud, speaking ot no on in particular.

"A palace, maybe?" Gorris guessed.

"A palace in the middle of a glacier? I doubt it," Felicia said.

"We should go see what is inside," Ordmar suggested.

"He's right. We better seek shelter in this place before we freeze to death," I said.

We made our way south along the western side of the palace. Along the way, we saw several dead bodies, human bodies. They were poorly clothed, and there is a bit of frost on their clothing, hinting that their corpses have been laying out here for a day or two.

"Oh my gods. What happened here?" Gorris asked.

"I don't know. This does not look good..." I said, getting a tight, twisting feeling of unease in my stomach.

When we neared the front entrance of the building, the only entrance, that is, we crossed a bridge that seemed to be made of glass and ice. As far as I could see, there are four bridges that connect to the platform in front of the temple's entrance. We wasted no time entering the temple.

The inside of the temple is still cold, but not as badly as it is outside. Up ahead, at the end of the narrow corridor we saw two creatures that at first glance to me look like blue yuan-ti, but they are not. They are frost salamanders, elemental reptilian humanoids that usually carry spears as weapons and possess snake-like bodies to constrict their enemies. The two frost salamanders noticed us, but did not attempt to attack us.

"Not know you. What you want here?" The salamander to the left asked us.

I thought over my answer carefully. These frost salamanders seem to be an organized force, which means they must have a leader somewhere. That means if we get the opportunity to speak to their leader, we will be able to get some idea of what is going on here.

"We are here to see your leader," I finally said, firmly and with authority.

"You want to see Kerish? He is our leader," the frost salamander to the right replied.

"Yes, take us to see Kerish," I suggested.

"Follow us," the frost salamander to the left said, then we followed them.

We did our best to keep our distance from the, because we realized that the closer we get to them, the colder the air gets, to the point where it feels like your skin is about to get burned by dry ice.

"Whoa. Look at that!" Andy gasped, pointing at the frozen pools of water we are passing by.

To our right we saw a pool of frozen water containing two frozen sharks, and up ahead there is a smaller frozen pool containing a squid of some kind, and to our immediate left, there is the largest frozen pool in this temple, 40 feet wide, containing a frozen whale! To this day, I still can't believe it! A frozen whale!

"This is unbelievable... This temple is an aquarium!" Felicia whispered in awe. We were led to Kerish in a room where different kinds of frozen fish are on display against the walls, protected by glass. Kerish is the most muscular frost salamander among his kin.

"_Master, these seven strangers wished to see you_," one of the salamanders escorting us told him, in their native language.

Kerish nodded in approval. "Good. I will speak to them, then. Go back to your post," he said in their language, and the two frost salamanders escorting us returned back to guarding the entrance.

Now Kerish turned his attention to us.

"I greet you," he said, speaking Common more fluently than some of his brethren. "I am Kerish, leader of the salamanders... Who are you?"

"Our names are not really important. All you need to know is that we are adventurers," I told him.

Kerish frowned in confusion, scratching his head.

"Adventurers...? Forgive me, but I doubt you are adventurers. No seekers of fortune could journey here unscathed..." Kerish proceeded to examine us closely, and I winced at feeling the harshly frigid air around him threatening to burn my skin. "... No, you are more than you seem. Perhaps you are inspectors, are you not? Spies of Brother Poquelin, perhaps? Come to check on me? Yes... he has been known to hire those of your race... Why has he sent you?"

I didn't notice it, but Andy and Felicia frowned upon hearing the name "Brother Poquelin" because they learned about Poquelin in the temple of Ilmater back in Kuldahar when we returned from the Vale of Shadows. I quickly thought of a reason why we are here before Kerish got suspicious.

"Brother Poquelin sent us to inspect this temple," I simply said, hoping that I won't need to elaborate on why.

Fortunately, Tymora smiled upon us, Kerish accepted my excuse with no explanation.

"Very well, you are my guests. Feel free to look around. You will find nothing out of place here," Kerish promised us.

"Brother Poquelin does not broker oversights, that is why we are here," I said assertively.

"Of course," Kerish nodded politely.

We left the room, and Kerish's bodyguards parted aside, knowing our skins are sensitive to their abnormally cold bodies. To our left we saw a statue of a human man in between two unlit braziers. Out of curiosity, I approached the plaque at the foot of the statue and examined it. The plaque is weathered with age, but the inscription is still readable. It says: "Alkonos the Visionary".

"See anything interesting?" Andy asked me while he came to my side.

When I turned around and looked up at him, I saw an angry face trying to remain calm and neutral, but I thought nothing of it, my thoughts were occupied on other things.

"No, I didn't," I replied to Andy, unaware of the contempt that burned inside him.

We walked alongside the frozen whale's pool counter-clockwise, walking past ice trolls and frost salamanders, looking at the frozen aquatic wildlife through the glass on the walls, and on some areas of the floor. We also saw many human bodies strewn about the aquarium, and that feeling of unease crept over us again. Why are so many dead people littered around outside and inside the temple? It makes no sense.

"This place gives me the creeps," Ordmar whispered when we were out of earshot from the ice trolls and frost salamanders.

"No kidding. Look around. Dead bodies everywhere. And the ice trolls and these cold yuan-ti looking things are wandering the place as if they are looking for someone or something," I nodded.

"If they are looking for someone, wouldn't they trust us to find them if they think we are this... Brother Poquelin's spies?"

Gorris asked.

At this moment we reached the upper part of the whale's frozen pool and making our way to the western side.

"Shh, quiet your voice, if they learn we are not spies, they'll string us up," I warned Gorris.

We found a door northwest from the whale's pool. In front of the door is a dead frost salamander. We approached the door and entered it. Inside, we found ourselves in what appears to be a generator room, and inside the room is another dead frost salamander. There are five tanks in this room. Two of them seem operational and give off some warmth, glowing a bright, rusty yellow color, which is what probably killed those two frost salamanders, they are very sensitive to any degree of warmth, but the rest of the tanks are cold and non-functional. Gorris closed the door to secure our privacy while Andy checked the panel that probably operates the heat generated by these tanks.

"This makes no sense," Felicia said. "Why is a respected priest of Ilmater like Revered Brother Poquelin doing commanding an army of monsters and mercenaries?"

I blinked in surprise, remembering the letter sent to the orog Saablic Tan wanted us to kill. The letter was written by an individual only known to me as "RBP", which is likely an acronym for "Revered Brother Poquelin".

"You know this Revered Brother Poquelin, Felicia?" I asked her.

"Well, Andy and I learned a little about him in the temple of Ilmater at Kuldahar after we came back from the Vale of Shadows. We learned that he is a priest of Ilmater that came all the way from Cormyr, and according to what Calliana told Andy and I, Poquelin wore a holy symbol of Ilmater that she had never seen before," Felicia informed us.

I looked at Gorris, he looked at me, then he traded glances at Andy, then Andy traded his glance to Ordmar.

"Under normal circumstances, priests donnae wear holy symbols on their person that is unfamiliar to other fellow priests," Ordmar pointed us.

There's no denying it. This so-called "Revered Brother" Poquelin is a fraud.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Andy asked Xalorn.

He nodded in reply. "Yep. This Brother Poquelin is a phony."

Right at that moment, we heard a clattering noise somewhere in between the two active tanks.

I immediately pulled out my crossbow and pointed in in that direction, Lysara and Felicia did the same with their shortbows and arrows. Xalorn reached in between the tanks to pull whoever is hiding behind them into view.

"Get over here!" Xalorn demanded when he yanked this mystery person out of his or her hiding place.

That person turned out to be a woman. Long red hair, dirty, old clothing.

"No! No! Don't kill me!" She squealed in fright, shaking free from Xalorn's grasp and shielding her face with her arms.

When she realized we weren't going to attack yet, she relaxed a little, and I noticed that she has a few freckles on her face, and her eyes are green like emeralds. I lowered my crossbow.

"Eavesdropping on us, I take it? Who are you?" I asked her.

"I might ask you the same thing. You're the last thing I expected to see here. Ask whatever you like, but I'm not saying anything until I know who you are," she replied.

"We are friends. You can trust us, unlike those frost trolls and... other things out there," Felicia assured her.

The woman arched up her eyebrows. "Really? Mind telling me how you got past the salamanders?" She asked.

"Their leader thinks we are spies sent to check on his operations. I did nothing to convince him otherwise," I replied.

"I see. Well, if I were you, I would continue with that deception. It could save your life here," the woman said.

"Noted. By the way, ye never told us who ye are," Ordmar said.

"My name is Vera Elles," the woman replied.

"What are you doing here?" Andy asked.

Vera scowled at him. "Playing "Seven Minutes in Heaven". What the hell do you think I'm doing? It's clearly obvious that I'm hiding from the salamanders. I'll thank you to not mention having seen me."

"Don't worry, we won't report you. But tell us, do you know why there are so many dead bodies of people outside and inside this museum?" Lysara asked.

"The salamanders and frost giants keep slaves. The slaves revolted, and some of them were killed," Vera said, sounding fairly indifferent and I suspected that she is one of those slaves.

"Are you one of those slaves, Vera?" I asked her.

"That's nothing that should concern you and it's not a matter that I feel like discussing with strangers. Besides, I still don't fully trust any of you," Vera said, feeling mildly defensive.

"Well, you're going to have to trust us more soon er or later. We will leave this room for now, but trust that we will not report you to the salamanders," I said.

"Yeah. Besides, it seems like these salamanders don't like the heat very much," Xalorn said, looking down at the dead frost salamander near his feet.

"I know that already. But you might want to check on the people who survived in the lower levels of the museum," she suggested.

"We will, and we'll be careful not to blow our cover," Gorris said.

* * *

We left the generator room then headed south along the west side of the whale's pool, exploring every inch of this temple's aquarium that we possibly could until we reached the southwestern part of the aquarium where there is a spiraling staircase leading down to what I assume to be the basement. The stairs are guarded by two frost salamanders, so we can't simply barge by them without the frigid air emanating around their bodies burning our skin. As we approached them, one of them spoke up.

"This area is off limits. Leave. Now."

"Why?" I asked.

"The slaves who survived their pointless revolt are down there. We can't get to them, but they have remained trapped down their for a while without food or water. You have no business down there. Go now," the salamander replied.

I considered obeying their rules, but Andy would have none of it. He approached the two salamanders then said to them in a strong tone:

"We report directly to Brother Poquelin. Let us down there, or we will have to inform him that you are too incompetent to handle a few slaves."

The salamander considered Andy's demand for a few seconds, then nodded, and he and his fellow guard parted aside, allowing us passage downstairs without getting are skin frozen and burned.

The stairs spiraled downwards for several feet, and the cold air became more and more warmer until we reached the bottom.

As soon as we reached the basement of this temple, the few slaves near the stairs hiding down here gasped in horror upon seeing us.

"Don't worry, we won't hurt you," I assured them.

"Get away from us! Agents of the frost serpents!" A man with a shaggy black beard cried before running away.

We looked around. The basement seems big enough to hold at least 40 people. To our right is what seems to be an assortment of library books stacked on old, cobweb covered shelves. To our left leads to the part of the basement where most of the slaves fled away from us. Over in the "library" direction there is one man who did not run away from us. In fact, he seemed more occupied reading some kind of book. We approached him casually, trying not to alarm him.

"Hello? Sir? We are not with the salamanders, though they think we are with them. Who are you?" I asked him.

The man finally noticed us.

"Oh, hello there. My name is Soth. Is there something I can help you with?" He asked politely, a tone that I wasn't expecting from a man who is with a group of terrified slaves.

"I want you to answer some of my questions. Why are you reading that book?' I asked.

Soth smiled at me. "Well... I fancy myself to be a bit of a scholar, so I'm trying to go through some of these books and learn a bit about this place."

"Have you had any luck?" I asked.

"Yes. It's hard reading, but I've pieced a few things together."

"What have you learned?" I asked, becoming more and more curious.

"It seems that this entire complex is a temple dedicated to Dugmaren Brightmantle," Soth said.

"I never heard of that name. Who is he?" Ordmar asked.

"From what I can gather he is the dwarven god of scholars, inventors, and explorers. He's not well known and frowned upon by some of the other dwarf gods. They consider him to be a bit... whimsical, I guess you'd say. anyway, Dugmaren felt that the dwarves should explore the world more," soth explained.

I did my own research into Dugmaren after my adventures in Icewind Dale, and I learned that everything Soth said mostly true. Though Moradin admires and respects Dugmaren's adventurous spirit, he disliked Dugmaren's fickle personality, meaning he has a tendency to be distracted by a small goal when working towards a higher, more important goal.

"I see. What else can you tell us about this place?" I asked.

"A brilliant architect known as Alkonos the Visionary built this complex. He was a devout follower of Dugmaren and took offense that his deity had no formal temple. so, he petitioned the king and was granted permission to construct one. During the construction he became known as Alkonos the Mad," Soth explained.

"Why did they call him that?" Andy asked before I did.

"Well, apparently most of the dwarves wanted to just bore a tunnel through this glacier and build a small temple in the mountain on the other side. Alkonos would hear nothing of it. Instead he began construction on a grandiose scale... and here is the result."

"I don't get it. If the dwarves thought him mad, why did they not stop him?" Gorris asked.

"Oh, they tried... Now, I may not have the lineage exactly right, but it appears that Alkonos was related to the king at the time. He was either a nephew or cousin, I don't know which. In any case, the king couldn't admit that one of his relatives was a brick shy upstairs. It would be a bad reflection on him."

"Where are you from, Soth? And who is in charge of this slave rebellion?" Felicia asked.

"I was on my way from Auckney to Easthaven. Raiders waylaid the caravan I was with, and I was knocked unconsious. When I awoke, I was here, among these people," Soth replied.

"I've never heard of Auckney," I stated.

"Auckney's located at the other side of the Spine of the World mountains. It's a small place. I don't think it has made it on the maps yet..." Soth said with uncertainty.

"Interesting. Thank you for the information, and farewell," I said before leaving him.

Then we headed to the eastern side of the library basement, where most of the surviving slaves have gathered. In the central location, there appears to be a large circular table made of pure steel, and it appears to be a meeting area of some kind. The furnishings are still in good shape, but still cold to the touch. By my count, there are 19 slaves, eleven men, eight women. When we approached them, they shrank back in fear of us, whimpering and pleading to us not to kill them.

"Do not worry, we do not seek to harm you," Gorris consoled them.

"Oh, sure, you speak kind words to lure us back in to slavery like fish to bait. We will not fall for your lies and deception!" A terrified middle aged man exclaimed.

"He speaks the truth. We come only to speak to a man named Gareth," I spoke up.

Just then, a man walked forward, short beard, piercing brown eyes, short hair and wearing an old, tattered beige green tunic.

"I am the one you seek, I am Gareth. Have you come to return us to slavery?"

"No, we are not here to enslave you," I replied.

Gareth exhaled a sigh of relief, and all the other slave rebels seem to relax too.

"Thank the gods. Perhaps you would agree to help us? We are in a desperate situation," Gareth told us.

"We would be glad to help," Andy said.

Gareth lead us through the small crowd, approaching another table on the far east side about 24 feet away from the central table.

"The people you see here are all slaves. Recently we escaped our masters and fled to this room," Gareth replied.

"Who are your masters?" I asked.

"I believe they are called frost salamanders, they have humanoid torsos, reptilian heads, and serpentine tails. They have an aura of cold about them, they seem to thrive here in the glacier, and they seem to be allies of the frost giants," Gareth said.

"I see. So how did you manage to escape?" Andy asked him.

"Oh, that is a long tale. Will you listen?" Gareth asked as he came closer to the table.

"Yes, please begin," Gorris said eagerly.

At that moment, Gareth sat down on one of the chairs making himself comfortable, then he gestured us to take a seat with him. There were not much chairs to go around, so only Gorris and Ordmar were left standing on their legs.

"Very well. The frost salamanders are allies of the frost giants that live nearby here, led by one giant named Joril Frostbeard, I believe. We found a note down here confirming this," Gareth said, handing the note he mentioned to me.

I opened the paper and read it.

"_Kerish,_

Kreg Frostbeard is dead, no thanks to you, and now I hold his badge of office. I, Joril Frostbeard, am now numbered among the six chosen of the master! Once my plans have come to bear fruit, I will have access to the master himself. You would do well to remember that from this day forward, worm.

Also know that your lack of aid has not gone unnoticed. Only your silence in not reporting this to the master has kept you alive. When the time is right, I will tell the master that I have taken my father's throne. Until then, you will remain silent or you will die. Those walls you hide behind will not save you from my wrath. Betray me and I will crumble them about you and crush the life from you!

Joril

"

I recalled that name from the list as one of Revered Brother Poquelin's trusted allies who have one of the badges we need to reach Poquelin himself somewhere in the lower reaches of Dorn's Deep. So it seems Kerish and Joril have a very strained alliance, which worked to our advantage before I knew about it. This explains why Kerish believes my party and I are Brother Poquelin's spies, he knows he is in trouble and wants to make a good impression to Poquelin's inspectors. As soon as we free these slaves somehow, we will need to find this Joril and end his life and take his badge.

"We were held captive along with several others in a cave close by here across a bridge where the frost giant camp is located. When the opportunity presented itself, one of my friends created a diversion that distracted the frost giants, allowing more than a dozen of us to flee the caves. When we damaged the bridge so that the frost giants would be unable to follow us, we thought we were safe, but we didn't know that the frost giants had allies on the outside. We were attacked by frost salamanders and ice trolls at every turn, my friends being slaughtered one by one until we were forced to surrender and become their slaves. After we surrendered, we were brought into the building above this one to work for them. It appears to be some sort of museum. There are numerous display cases showing specimens of aquatic life, all of which have succumbed to the cold of the glacier and frozen solid," Gareth explained.

"Wait, hold on a second. If your former masters are so close to you, why do they not simply come down here and get you?" Xalorn asked, and I had to admit, the same question rolled through my mind too.

"The temperature here is hot enough to cause them pain, and thus, they shun this place," Gareth replied.

"Ah... That makes sense, it is warm in here. Go on," Felicia said.

"Before this room, however, there was one room within the museum the salamanders avoided, and we were ordered never to enter there. So naturally, we began to wonder why. We did our best to try and sneak in to see what it was the salamanders feared, but with little success. Finally, a woman named Vera managed to do it!"

"Why? What did she find in there?" I asked, even though I knew the answer already.

"Ancient machinery- really old stuff, most of it in ruin. However, there was one device that emitted a soft glow and warmth! Vera realized that the warmth must be why the salamanders avoided that area. She also concluded the displays of the museum had not always been frozen- perhaps this machinery was what kept the cold at bay in the past," Gareth said, rather enthusiastically when describing the machines that give off heat.

"So what happened? Did she try to activate the other machines to bring heat to the museum?" Lysara asked.

"Yes. She felt that this was the chance of a lifetime. There was no way to know if this ancient machinery was turned off or broken, so she decided to take action. She began to fiddle with dials and knobs until suddenly an indicator began to pulse with a steady light. At once the room filled with a warm glow and the hum of power. Quietly she returned to tell us of her discovery."

"Did it work?" Andy asked.

"At first, nothing. For days we waited, always expecting the temperature to rise, but it never did. We had finally given up hope, a commotion started and the salamanders fled this room in a flurry of confusion. Vera saw this as our one chance at freedom. We could not allow the salamanders time to reorganize and cut off our access to this room. so, she yelled for all of us to run to the stairs that led here. Many more of us died in the attempt. We are the few who survived, and Vera is not among us. I only hope that she is still alive..."

"She is. We met her in the room with the ancient machinery you mentioned," I said.

"I see... Well, thank you for telling me. I will let the others know the news," Gareth said, feeling more at ease, feeling that Tymora is shining good luck upon all of them.

"You are welcome, Gareth," I replied.

"You mentioned a desperate situation that you are in. Can you tell us about it?" Andy said, driving into the heart of the matter now.

"We have no food or water. We are in the heart of enemy lands. We will surely die if we stay here... the maddening thing is, we _have _discovered another exit that leads back outside allowing us to escape unnoticed, but it is locked and we do not have the key," Gareth said.

"It is probably in the hands of the frost salamanders," I concluded.

Gareth nodded in agreement, stroking his beard. "Yes, you might be correct in this. We believe that Kerish, their leader, has the key. Will you recover it for us?"

"Hmm... Yes, we will try, besides, he thinks we are spies sent by his superior," I explained.

"The frost salamanders work for someone... Never mind, it is not my concern. What is my concern is your selfless actions, my friends. Your bravery and compassion are beyond compare. I do not know what to say other than thank you... which seems hardly enough under the circumstances. I wish you luck, my friends. Our fate is in your hands," Gareth said before we stood up and left heading back upstairs.

* * *

Before confronting Kerish again, we walked outside back in to the frigid air to continue the ploy that we are inspecting the temple under Poquelin's orders. We did some exploring until we found that there is another entrance into the temple, down below that can be reached by stairs. From there, we made our way to the doors that would take us straight into the library room where Gareth and the other salves are, but it is locked. Then we left the lower levels, returned to the temple from the main entrance then we returned to the same place in the museum where we first met Kerish and we found him there once again.

"You have returned. What can I do for you?" He asked us politely.

"We have been exploring the lower levels of this temple from the outside, and I can't help wondering why you have so many locked doors down there. I want the key that unlocks those doors down in the lower levels," I explained with an edge of suspicion in the tone of my voice.

Kerish blinked in surprise. "I have the key you speak of, but I am reluctant to give it up. There are circumstances that..."

"I am clearly aware of the slave issue. But tell me, is that the only issue you have on your hands right now...? If you have nothing to hide, then you will give me the key. If you don't, we will have to report our findings to the master and inform him of your inability to cooperate," I said darkly.

Kerish now looked visibly disturbed and conflicted. I could tell that he is afraid of Poquelin learning from us that he neglected to save Joril's father, but at the same time, he is also afraid that we might wittingly or unwittingly give the slaves a way out. But eventually he gave in, he had no other choice anyway.

"Very well. You may check the lower levels at your leisure. If those slaves escape, I will hold you personally responsible. Here is the key," he said, handing the key to me.

"Thank you and farewell," I said to him before we walked off.

Little did I know that Kerish is beginning to have some doubts about who we are. He called over a fellow frost salamander in their native language and told him to track our activities quietly, which he obliged.

We walked outside and entered the museum from the lower entrance to avoid drawing suspicions from Kerish and the other frost salamanders, then we made our way to the door to the library and unlocked it. The slaves, Gareth and Soth were surprised to see us reappear from that way.

"You... You... You're back... And you've unlocked the door! We can escape!" Gareth exclaimed happily.

Everyone was about to cheer and clamor excitedly, but we had to remind them to keep quiet.

"Shh! Keep it down! We'll escort you to the doors that lead into the Hall of Heroes. From there, you should be able to find your way out without our help," Andy said.

"Thank you so much for what you have done," Gareth said to me."You're welcome. By the way, that bridge you damaged. Is there any way to repair it? We need to get something from the frost giants," I said.

At that moment, Soth approached us while everyone else gathered around us and the open door.

"Here, take this book of Dwarven Engineering Manual. Though it is written entirely in the Dwarf language, I have placed notes translated in Common so that you'll be able to make use of it," he said while handing the book to me.

"Oh. Thanks. Ordmar, take this," I said, passing down the book to him.

"All right, people, let's go!" Gorris exclaimed, and we began to escort the slaves out of the lower levels of the temple.

When we got outside and climbed up the stairs, beginning to make our way past the front entrance of the temple we were waylaid by Kerish who held a strange spear that appears to be made out of ice crystals, with a spearhead that looked like an icicle surrounded by an aura of frost, seven frost salamanders with spears of a similar design and three snow trolls, which can regenerate their wounds, unlike their ice troll relatives.

"I knew I couldn't trust you! Traitors!" Kerish declared angrily.

"Traitor?! You're one to talk!" I shot back, still maintaining the act that we are Poquelin's spies. "We learned about your negligence to save the life of Kreg Frostbeard!"

Kerish gasped.

"The punishment for insubordination is death!" I exclaimed, then, using divine magic bestowed upon me by Silvanus, I cast a spell that allows me to wield a fire sword, a perfect weapon fir fighting snow trolls and frost salamanders.

Kerish was nearly overcome with fear, but his fight or flight instinct took over, preferring ot fight for his life at the risk of incurring the wrath of Poquelin, which won't really happen with our deaths.

"No! Never! I will not go out like this!" He exclaimed, then he sent his fellow frost salamanders and snow trolls to attack us, each of them growling the word "Traitors" to us.

My party and I are the only ones in fighting fit to face them, so we fought them while Gareth and his fellow former slaves stayed back, and since I am fighting with a fire sword, every strike I made against the frost salamanders and snow trolls were fatal cuts. My allies' weapons only served to keep our enemies from focusing on me since I am the one with the most dangerous weapon. However, they underestimated how much of a threat Gorris, Xalorn, Ordmar and Andy are too. Andy cast two Melf's Acid Arrow at one of the trolls, the acid from the magic arrow slowly eating away at the troll's skin and vital organs, killing it slowly and rendering its regenerating ability useless. Kerish was at first determined to defeat us, but when he saw his fellow salamanders and trolls getting killed one by one in near succession, he lost the courage ot attack us and try to run when there were only three of his salamander kin left standing and fighting. I killed Kerish by shooting him in the back with my crossbow, and the last three salamanders were easily cut down by Gorris and Xalorn. Then we reentered the museum to find Vera, and when we found her in the ancient warm machinery room, she was overjoyed to see that some of her fellow former slaves, Gareth included, have survived. And so we escorted them all to the door that leads into the Hall of Heroes and we went our separate ways from them, heading for the damaged bridge southwest from the temple. We fixed the bridge and entered the frost giant cavern.

Fighting through the frost giants was easy, especially since my fire sword was still active. When we reached the throne room, we had to fight Joril and three of his bodyguards. Joril is a teenage frost giant, standing ten feet tall, and like some, if not most teens of other humanoid species, he is ambitious and arrogant. So arrogant, in fact, that he thought he could take me on alone with his father's war axe. My party fought his bodyguards, though they tried their best to come to Joril's assistance, but my companions kept them busy. Joril was a good fighter, I will say that much, but his major flaw is his overconfidence. It seems he didn't understand how powerless frost giants are against fire. All I had to do was wound his right leg, then when he fell on his left leg, I jumped up at him and tried to impale my fire sword into his heart, but somehow I missed and ended up impaling his left lung, which seems good enough, but caused him to die a slow, agonizing death. I took his badge from his pocket after he expired, his badge is a black steel plate with the engraving of a double bladed axe on it. After we killed Joril and his bodyguards and obtained his badge, we had to flee the campsite because more than a dozen frost giants were on our heels! Me made it out the cave and across the bridge, and then, before my fire sword disappeared, I cut the bridge so that the frost giants will have no way of following us. Then, we headed northeast past the temple to the caverns that will take us to the lower reaches of Dorn's Deep.


	9. Chapter 9 Into The Dark And Deeper

I am glad to finally leave the cold air of that frozen museum and the frost giant caverns behind us and move on forward into the stronghold of our enemy. We found ourselves in the deep tunnels of the dwarven complex, with Andy's Light cantrip spell lighting the way for us. However, it wasn't long until many yards ahead of us, we saw a bright red glow emanating from the mouth of a large corridor, a clear sign that the lower reaches of Dorn's Deep is clearly inhabited by someone. Who? We are about to find out soon. We neared closer and closer to the end of the corridor until we stepped out of the tunnel... and into a wide open space where hot and humid air from lava and magma welcomed us, which felt inviting at first from wandering around a frozen museum and snow covered caverns for an hour or more. We checked our surroundings and noticed two fifteen feet tall statues of dwarves looming over us near the entrance of Lower Dorn's Deep. Behind the dwarf statue to our right, there are a series of large and medium sized vats connected to each other by small bridges that transport the molten magma they hold to somewhere out of our view. We looked up at the two dwarf statues and felt rather unsettled being under their gaze.

"Uh... I am officially terrified right now," Andy shuddered.

I looked ahead and saw a ghostly body of armor approaching us. I could see no body wearing the pieces of armor, it appeared as if someone invisible is wearing the body armor pieces of a paladin, or the armor itself is alive and animated.

"Prepare to look for a new reason to be terrified..." I muttered to Andy while I watched the animated armor approach us.

The animated pieces of armor stopped 5 feet close to us and we heard a voice echoing in our ears. It said:

"Halt. I cannot allow you to proceed."

"Why not?' Lysara fearlessly asked the construct.

"I am the voice of Durdel Anatha. I speak on behalf of my superior, Revered Brother Poquelin. These lands are sacred to the church of Ilmater. As a paladin of Torm, it is my duty to obey his commands."

"I hate to tell you this, friend, but you're a big suit of armor. I don't think Torm allows big suits of armor to be paladins," Gorris said.

"So, you're just going to blindly obey him?" Felicia asked quickly in case the voice of Durdel takes offense at Gorris's remark.

"Once, I was like you. In life, as a paladin of Torm, it was my duty to seek out traitors, vow-breakers, and the unfaithful across the realms. When I heard of the conflict between the elves of the Hand of the Seldarine and the dwarves of Dorn's Deep, I came to investigate. I tried to get to the root of the problem, to discover the treacherous party responsible for the pestilence of mistrust and open aggression. I swore to Torm that I would not allow the dwarves and elves to wage war against each other. This was my folly, my downfall. In my pride, I believed I could divert the massive rivers of suspicion and hatred that flowed between the races. I was wrong. They would not hear my words. Desperate to see that my vow was not broken, I threw myself between the charging dwarven warriors and the stalwart elven archers..."

Then the living suit of armor's arm plates and gauntlets slumped down in mild depression.

"So many arrows pierced my body, so many dwarven feet broke my bones, I did not feel them. But my soul... my soul felt the weight of Duty's Bond. I could not ascend to judgment. Weighted down by my guilt, I remained here, among the dead. Now my guilt is spread upon the table before me. Hungry, it consumes me in an eternal Holy Vigil. It will never be satiated. Despite this, I must obey. I must eternally serve the churches of the triad: Tyr, Torm and Ilmater. It is my duty. I will wait here until time itself shatters my shackles against the Spine of the World."

"So there is nothing that can be done for you?" Andy asked the thing.

The helmet visibly shook its head in denial.

"No. No longer. My armor is made from the shackles of slaves and my voice comes from the tongues of those slaves. They speak the words that I cannot."

I couldn't believe what I just heard. Revered Brother Poquelin's followers have more slaves here other than in Wyrm's Tooth Glacier? And not only that, they've cut out their tongues? I didn't know much about Ilmater back in the Year of the Cold Soul, but I almost instinctively knew that he does not condone in making people suffer. Ilmater is known as "The Crying God" or "The Broken God", his followers offer relief and support to people who have been oppressed or faced so much adversity that they feel broken and can't continue on with their lives. If this Revered Brother Poquelin truly is a priest of Ilmater, his lackeys should not be having slaves to begin with.

"Cutting out tongues and enslaving people doesn't sound like something a good church would do. Shouldn't that free you from obligation?" I asked the living suit of armor.

"Unless I have direct proof that they do not represent Ilmater, I must serve them without question. Brother Harken can see you through my eyes now. He is commanding me to attack you. I must obey him. It is my duty," Durdel said solemnly while drawing his sword out of its scabbard, the blade's handle gripped tightly by the gauntlets.

Fighting a living suit of armor is different from fighting an actual living person. Whenever your sword cuts through the lightly protected or unprotected parts of body armor, I cut through air rather than something similar to flesh. My sword, Gorris's swords and Lysara's short sword were either cutting air or deflecting the armor's sword strikes, but Ordmar's hammer, Felicia's mace and Xalorn's morningstar were making some dents in the breastplates here and ther fortunately, because their weapons are designed to crush, not slash or pierce. While we were fighting the living body armor, up above one of the watchtowers near the river of magma several feet northeast from the entrance, two salamander archers spotted us. They are a different subspecies of salamander from Kerish and his frost salamanders. These salamanders here in Lower Dorn's Seep are fire based rather than ice based. These fire salamanders are natives of the Elemental Plane of Fire, a plane of existence made up of of pure elemental flame, and from what I've heard, the flames there don't need air or fuel to sustain themselves, and they can take on a solid, liquid or gaseous form, believe it or not. I know, it sounds very outlandish.

"(_Look, brother! Intruders, down near the city's entrance!)_" The salamander with a longbow strapped around his chest and a horn shaped object in his left hand said to his fellow salamander in Ignan while pointing at our direction. Ignan is a language from their native home which is a series of sharp clicks and hisses rather than words.

The other salamander peered over to the direction his friend is pointing at and noticed us fighting the suit of armor.

"_(It's them! The adventurers who killed Poquelin's old enemy!)_" He confirmed.

"_(What should we do?)" _Salamander #1 clicked with uncertainty.

"_(The sensible thing. Alert the others! They have come too far, and we must put an end to them right here and now!)_" Salamander #2 hissed and clicked assertively.

At that moment, they noticed that Durdel Anatha's living body armor sustained so much damage from our attacks that it collapsed into a heap of broken pieces of armor.

Salamander #1 nodded in agreement to #2's request. "_(Yes! Yes, you're right!)_" He clicked, then brought the horn up to his lips and blew into it, creating a loud, blaring noise that can be heard all over the Residential District of Lower Dorn's Deep!

The noise the salamander's horn was making was so loud, it hurt our ears!

"What is that?!" Andy exclaimed, covering his ears with both hands, forcing him to drop his quarterstaff.

"That sounds like some kind of alarm! Pretty soon the entire city's patrols will come down on us!" Felicia exclaimed.

We moved further away from the heap of broken body armor pieces and away from the Lower Dorn's Deep entrance built into a large rock formation until we reached the end of the bridge-like pathway, and to our left, we saw what looks like a series of homes on the other side of what looks like a large river made up of hot magma and four watchtowers lined up along our side of the river's bank. To our right seems to lead to the mines of Lower Dorn's Deep, because there are a series of mine cart tracks leading into several mine tunnels.

I looked up at the watchtowers and noticed that on the third watchtower from the left, near one of the three bridges that lead to the residential areas of this part of Dorn's Deep, I saw two figures visibly glowing with fiery heat. One of them was blowing into the horn, alerting the entire city to our presence, while his friend took aim down at us with a bow and arrow!

"Up there! Archers!" I pointed up at them.

While I noticed the archers, Andy noticed an army of salamanders coming towards our direction from the other side of the magma river! They are nearing the bridges!

"Uh, Jovan? We got bigger problems to worry about," Andy said nervously.

The first thing I did was fire a quarrel at the salamander blowing into the horn, alerting all the patrolling forces of salamanders here in Lower Dorn's Deep. I was worried that I would miss, but I didn't, my crossbow bolt hit the salamander in the chest, and he dropped dead, surprising his friend next to him before he could shoot an arrow down at us. Lysara managed to shoot him down with somewhat lucky precision as I did to the other one.

"We need to hide in one of these watchtowers quickly!" Gorris said.

"Hold still, everyone! I'm going to haste us!" Andy exclaimed, then he began casting the Haste spell on all o us to increase our running speed so we can get to one of the watchtowers before the patrols of salamanders cross the bridges and spot us.

We quickly ran across the open field towards the watchtower to the far right that is separate from the other watchtowers near the edge of the magma river. This watchtower we are approaching is surrounded by a moat of lava, which is in turn surrounded by empty Underdark cattle pens, possibly used by the salamanders to hold the deep gnomes they use as slaves, and we found ourselves in front of its entrance door in less than four seconds after crossing the small bridge, away from the view of the group of salamander patrols responding to the alarm. Gorris tried twisting the doorknob, but he couldn't get the door to open.

"It's locked!" He exclaimed.

"Bash it open!" Xalorn exclaimed.

Gorris began bashing his left shoulder and body against the door four times until his left shoulder ached in pain.

"Oww! That didn't work!" He groaned in pain, rubbing his shoulder.

When I looked around for something we could use to get into the watchtower, I saw a little deep gnome girl walking towards us. Deep gnomes, also known as "svirfneblin" in their native language, are Underdark dwelling gnomes, like duergar are Underdark dwelling dwarves and drow are Underdark dwelling elves. Like the duergar and drow, the skin of a deep gnome is grayish in color, and only the women and girls have hair, the men and boys are always bald. Deep gnomes aren't known to be evil, fortunately, just stoic and not so trusting. This deep gnome little girl I saw walking by wore a shabby brown dress that appeared loose on her wiry body, her hair is short, she has black eyes and she is carrying a small bag, possibly carrying some food and drinks to her family somewhere here even though salamanders are out in force here, and she wore a large key around her neck held by a thin red cord like a necklace.

I approached the girl and she noticed me, but she didn't run.

"Jovan, what are you doing?" Andy whispered to me through gritted teeth, reminding me of the urgency of our situation.

Ignoring him, I spoke to the girl.

"Hello, little girl. How are you? What is your name?" I asked, hoping that she understands Common.

She didn't reply to me by speaking for some reason, but she made it clear that she understood Common. Instead, she pointed to her right forearm. Branded into her gray skin is the name "FENGLA", I noticed.

"What's wrong? Can you speak?" I asked her.

In response, Fengla opened her mouth. When I peered in, I noticed that her tongue is missing, I saw no trace of it. Someone actually cut out her tongue! I can't think of any slaver who would do such a thing. This means that Fengla and other deep gnomes who have their tongues cut are not only deprived of speaking, but are also deprived of tasting the foods they eat.

"Who did that to you?" I asked indignantly.

"Jovan!" Andy harshly whispered to me again.

Though the watchtower shielded us from view of the salamanders on the other side of the large river of magma, once they cross the bridge near us, all they have to do is look to their left and they'll see us, and we will be in deep trouble, we can't fight more than ten salamanders! In reply to my question, Fengla pointed at the large palace on the other side of the Residential District, in the northeastern portion of the cavern, which possibly means to get there, we would have to cross the bridge and walk through 16 blocks of the city's residential streets to get there. Then she pointed at the brand of a pickaxe on her wrist.

"What's that you are carrying?" I asked Fengla, pointing at her bag.

She opened it and revealed that she is carrying seven green apples and three bottles of wine.

"Jovan! If ye got a plan, do something fast!" Ordmar whispered urgently.

I could hear the salamanders more clearly now. They are crossing the bridge! Realizing that we are running out of time, I took a gamble, guessing that Fengla is delivering some food not to her family, but to the guards of this watchtower.

"I see. So where are you taking this food?" I asked her.

Fengla pointed at the watchtower we are near, which is exactly the answer I was looking for. That key around her neck must be what we need to get inside and hide from the patrols of salamanders for a while until things calm down enough for us to explore the city.

"Hey, honey, could I borrow the key to the watchtower for a little while?" I asked her.

Fengla smiled at me, pulled the key off from around her neck and handed it to me, the red cord with it and all.

"Thanks, Fengla," I said, then I ran back over to the door and began to unlock it.

* * *

We made it inside the watch tower just in time, and we stumbled into an area of the lower floor of the watchtower where the guards eat their breakfast, lunch and dinner. The five guards of this watchtower are hired human mercenaries. When they saw us come in, they were so shocked beyond belief, some of them choked on the steak or chicken they were chewing. Kelly, the man who is the leader of these guards exclaimed:

"Holy sh-! Wow! How-? Get 'em, boys!"

We managed to kill some of them before they could reach their crossbows or swords because Andy's Haste spell that he cast on us all is still active, so we basically overpowered the guards before they knew what hit them. Xalorn killed Kelly by charging at him, slamming him against the wall and forcing his head to bang against dwarven inscribed symbol walls until his skull was fractured.

Now that we have the watchtower to ourselves, we let Fengla come in, as it is unsafe. The ground floor of the watchtower is rather small, with a staircase spiraling up to the bedrooms. Near the small dining room is a dwarven privy, the seat is a little too short for an elf and human to sit on, but it is much better than nothing. While smiling, Fengla placed the bag she was carrying on one of the dinner tables, then turned to face us then nodded at us gratefully.

"You're welcome, honey. Here is your key back," I gave her the key. "And don't tell anyone where we are. When we are ready, we will get rid of the people woh cut out your tongue," I promised.

Though Fengla couldn't speak, she did giggle happily as she smiled, then she walked out the door, closing it shut.

Now at this moment the Haste spell wore off, and suddenly we felt fatigued and tired, our arms and legs were burning.

"Oh man... I am not looking forward to going upstairs..." Xalorn moaned.

"At least there is a warm bed waiting for us up there," Gorris reminded him, giving him a friendly slap to the back as he walked by him and walked up the stairs first.

When we reached the door at the end of the spiraling flight of stairs, we found ourselves in a bedroom with three bunk beds. The room is lit by the soft candlelight of three candles hanging on the wall, and there are two small oval shaped window with bars that give us a great bird's eye view of the Residential District of Lower Dorn's Deep, and the large palace at the far end where Revered Brother Poquelin is most likely residing.

Andy smiled at first, but when he saw there are only six beds to sleep on, he noticed there is a problem.

"Uh-oh," he said.

"What?" Ordmar looked at him in confusion.

"There is only six beds and seven of us," Andy reminded us.

"Oh, that's not going to be a problem," Felicia announced shamelessly.

"What do you mean?" Lysara asked, scratching her black hair.

Then when I least expected it when I should have, Felicia embraced her body against mine, wrapping her hands around my neck.

"Jovan can sleep with me. Don't you agree, my love?" She winked at me.

"Hey-oh!" Gorris exclaimed in shock, eyes widening.

"Whaaat?" Lysara gasped.

"Am I missing something here? When did you two become an item?" Lysara frowned and scratched her head.

Xalorn and Ordmar were simply speechless. But Andy... He looked none too happy, and that's putting it mildly, and Felicia noticed how he looked at us too.

"Andy? What's the matter?" She asked him.

Andy's stopped scowling for a second, then his lips curled into a sardonic smile, and he began to chuckle.

"_Hahaha... "What's wrong", she says... "What's wrong", she says, hahaha... Oh gods, the irony is so sweet, I can smell it..._" Andy muttered to himself as if he were nearing insanity while he wandered around the room, and looked out the windows briefly, then he turned to face us again, still having that mock smile, though my instincts told me that he is clearly upset and trying to laugh it off.

"Andy, seriously, you're scaring me," Felicia said to him, never leaving my side.

"Why?" He asked her in a low whisper I could barely hear.

"Why what?" Felicia repeated in confusion.

"Why do you choose him and not me? Why, Felicia, why? I... I thought that you and I had something special between us," Andy said, his voice darkening with his brewing rage.

Felicia gasped softly and blinked twice, finally understanding what he meant.

"I... I had no idea you felt that way about me... If I had known sooner, I-"

"Spare me your lies," Andy rudely rebuffed her, turning his back on her, then throwing his staff on the third lower bunk bed at the far left corner of the room.

I looked at Felicia and noticed her nodding.

"You're right... All this time, I thought of you as a brother figure to me, without even looking deeper into your feelings about me. When we first met years ago, I realized that you were the best thing to happen to me in my life, the first human who does not judge me by my mixed heritage, you stood up for me when people insulted me because I am part human and part elf, and you protected me at times too... I knew one day you would even protect me with your life, and I don't want you to die for me, which was the reason why I gave you my family's lucky coin. It brought me good luck, meeting you, and I wanted it to bring you good luck..."

While Andy still had his back turned towards us, he reached into his pocket with his right hand, pulled out the coin Lysara mentioned, and looked into it resting in the palm of his right hand. It is a gold piece with rusty edges. I now understand why he valued that coin so much when Lysara tried to steal it from him back in Kuldahar Pass before the frost giants attacked. It is because it is a memento belonging to Felicia, a woman he has had feelings towards long before I did. He looked at the coin for a few seconds, then closed his eyes to hold back tears, then he closed his hand around the coin.

"Why couldn't you see my true feelings for you, Felicia? I don't understand it. How could you have been so blind?" He asked, his voice breaking with grief.

"I... I don't know," was Felicia's solemn reply.

"Don't play innocent with me," Andy growled, facing us again. "You've known me for years, yet you're with _him, _and you've only known him for a few weeks! What does he have that I don't, huh?! Tell me right now!" He snapped.

"Andy!" Gorris exclaimed, coming to his side. "Calm down! This is so unlike you."

Andy glared at him. "I suggest you keep your distance unless you want to see more of what I am capable of," he threatened Gorris.

"Andy, lad, ye need to calm down! We are in the middle of enemy territory!" Ordmar reminded him.

"He's right! This is no time for a fight! Once we defeat Poquelin, we can settle this problem afterwards. For now, I need to know if you are willing to work with me," I said.

Andy scoffed. "Work with you? The bastard who stole what should have been mine? I don't think so."

Fed up with his attitude, Felicia approached Andy and slapped him across his face. Shocked, Andy rubbed his face.

"What was that for?" He asked her, rubbing his red, stinging right cheek.

"To bring you back to your senses. The reason why I never developed any romantic feelings for you is because I didn't know that you had any for me!"

Andy blinked. "That's not true, I gave you hints! Do you expect me to spell it out to you?"

"If you were man enough to, yes! Look, I'm sorry that I never noticed your true feelings, but you are at fault too, not just me. You kept your feelings bottled up to yourself. If you had just let me know how you felt, you should have told me." Then Felicia put her hands on Andy's face, as if she were about to kiss him, but I knew that she wouldn't. "We have no one to blame but ourselves," she concluded in a softer tone.

Andy now looked resigned, and he nodded. "You're right. I kept my feelings to myself, fearing rejection from you. This is the price of my mistake, and I accept it. You're right, Felicia, you are not the only one at fault here, but me as well. I guess growing up as a shy boy with few friends had more of an impact on me than I thought."

"So... you don't mind if I sleep with Jovan?" She asked carefully.

"*sigh*... I still don't like it, bu I must learn to accept it. If you really love him, then I won't stop you," Andy said calmly.

Felicia began to cry, burying her head into Andy's chest, her tears soaking his robes making small wet stains.

"This is me speaking as your brother figure, not a jealous man wanting your attention," Andy assured her, gently wrapping his arms around her and patting her back softly while she continued sobbing.

Felicia tried to utter a "thank you", but she couldn't stop herself from crying for the next six minutes.

* * *

After that problem had been solved, we fell asleep for 8 hours, awoken by the loud ringing of what sounds like a church bell. The sound startled us out of our sleep, and I recall that my heart was pounding at that moment, believing that it was an alarm meaning that the salamanders and whatever other creatures that are patrolling the city of Dorn's Deep know where we are. Felicia sat up with me in the lower bunk of the middle bunk bed, with Gorris sleeping in the bed above us, and Felicia is wearing only a dethma, a type of brassiere, and underwear, while I was partially naked too.

"What was that, an alarm bell?" Gorris asked either one of us as he stumbled out of bed and got started putting on his armor.

Xalorn groaned and shook his head to break out of his groggy state of mind. "I hope not. I hate waking up early in the morning to bash heads," he said.

"I'll go check," Andy said, climbing out the top bunk bed to the far left with Ordmar who was sleeping below him and looked out the window.

"What do ye see?" Ordmar asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Give me a minute," Andy replied, still peering out between the bars of the window, then after a few seconds of silence, he stepped back from the window exhaling a sigh of relief. "There's not much activity going on in the streets across the river. It seems the patrols have calmed down. I guess it's safe for us to go out and explore the city now."

"Good. The sooner we confront this Revered Brother Poquelin, the better," Xalorn said, getting dressed into his new body armor which he confiscated from Kelly's wardrobe, which is a black +1 full plate mail.

"Xalorn, we can't get to Poquelin unless we get the final four remaining badges," I reminded him wile putting on my studded leather body armor.

"Jovan, this is a big dwarven city. Those bastards with the badges could be anywhere. Where do we start looking?" Lysara said.

I looked around the room, and I found a rolled up long piece of paper on a small desk that I never noticed when we arrived in this room 8 hours ago.

"Hey! I think I found a map over here!" I exclaimed.

As soon as I said that, we crowded around the desk, I unraveled the paper, learning that it is indeed a map of Lower Dorn's Deep, and studying the map. Lower Dorn's Deep is indeed a large city, the districts are divided into different sections of this large cavern. The center of this cavern city is the district where we are now, Durdel Anatha, which is named after the man who was the animated body armor that attacked up when we first arrived. Durdel Anatha is the second largest district compared to the Artisan District to the northwest in a different part of the cavern. To the southeast from our position are the mines. To the east is district where the mine workers reside, and to the north is the palace that we can see outside the windows. Also, near the tunnels that lead to the Artisan District, there is a elevator-like mechanism that will take us down to the lower parts of the cavern. There is no map of the lower levels, but there are words written in Common near where the elevator is written on the map that says: "To Oubliette".

"So, where to?" Gorris asked me.

"Well, the place I suggest we start at the Artisan District. See that building with the green glowing glass roof right there? That building is of some importance otherwise it wouldn't have been drawn on this map. Whatever we might find there might be worth seeing," I suggested, pointing my finger on the specific spot on the map. "Then after we check that building, we'll leave the Artisan District and go down that platform there that will take

"Well then, what are we waitin' for? Let's get going!" Ordmar exclaimed.

As soon as we were dressed and ready, we left the watchtower and headed west along the river of lava which flows towards the direction of the mines, but begins 48 feet ahead from a tunnel that probably goes back from a part of the cavern that is an ocean of lava, I assume. There were small patrols of salamanders wandering about here and there, so Lysara and I had to shoot them in the heads before they noticed us and alerted larger patrols. We eventually reached the western edge of the Residential District and entered the tunnel that will take us to the other part of the cavern where the Artisan District is located. The tunnels had several torches hanging on the stone walls, so Andy had no need to use his Light cantrip to help us see what is ahead of us.

After wandering 30 feet through the tunnel, we came out at the other end, catching our first glimpse of the Artisan District. The buildings look the same as the ones back in the main district, but most of the buildings here in this district are all boarded up with wooden planks, especially the windows. And since patrol groups of umber hulks and blind minotaurs patrol these streets, we had to keep quiet and sneak around them, taking shortcuts through alleyways, hiding behind or inside objects like large pots and barrels. The umber hulks did not worry me much, but the blind minotaurs did. Do you know what I find scary about them? Even though they are blinded, that does not mean sneaking by them is easy. Because their sight is lost, taken by Poquelin's lackeys, their sense of hearing and smelling have been heightened, which means when sneaking around a blind minotaur, you have ot make sure you are very quiet. When we were hiding in large pots out in front of house #593 which used to belong to a dwarf named Caldum Oilwater, Lysara suddenly sneezed inside her barrel, catching the attention of a nearby blind minotaur. The minotaur searched around for the source of the noise for a minute before giving up and returning to his daily rounds.

We slowly progressed towards the building with the glowing green glass roof, taking care not to alert the patrols that wander the streets. When we got up close to our destination, we noticed how dirty and warped the green glass roof of the building is. Flanking the front door of the building is two banners bearing two symbols. The symbol on top of the symbol of a circumscribed eye is a symbol of two hands crossed together in the shape of an X, bound tightly by many red cords. This is supposed to be Ilmater's holy symbol, but it is slightly different from the real symbol. This false holy symbol clearly symbolizes a servant's willingness to forever endure suffering by his or her master, something that Ilmater does not actually permit. Ilmater's real holy symbol is similar to the false one, the only difference is the red cords are loose on the wrists of the arms, and the arms are not crossed together and clenched into fists, which which symbolizes that people don't need to forever endure pain and suffering. I assumed that the symbol of the eye is the symbol of of the person who possesses one of the badges we seek. I had no idea that I was right.

"I think we came to the right place. Let's go, but be careful," I said, then turned my attention to Lysara. "Lysara, check the door for traps," I instructed her.

"You got it, boss," she said cheerfully then bounded up the small stairway to the front door, then checked the door for strings or triggers to disarm.

After a minute of examination, she gave us two thumbs up, meaning we are safe. We approached the door and entered. Down the small corridor about 9 feet ahead of us stood an umber hulk, but fortunately I held my crossbow ready, shooting it in the head and its muscular gorilla-like body slumped down like a lifeless rag doll. Moving around the creature's body, we came to the end of the corridor where two pathways branch left and right. Along the sides of the walls are small mushrooms no bigger than the height of our ankles. Heading left, we eventually entered a large room where small groups of deep gnomes are caring for much bigger mushrooms. But these big mushrooms don't look normal, and their size isn't normal either, they are the height of an adult white dragon, and they appear very slick with moisture, which explains why the glass roof is so dirty, because the inside of the building is heavy with moisture from the mushrooms.

"What are they doing...?" Ordmar whispered to me.

"I think... they are caring for these big... mushrooms, I think, I carefully guessed, feeling rather clueless myself.

"How can they do that in the condition they are in?" Felicia asked.

We all looked at her.

"What do you mean?" Andy asked her.

"Look at their eyes. Their eyelids are bloody and closed shut. They have been blinded," she pointed out.

Knowing that deep gnome children like Fengla wander this city as slaves with their tongues cut out is bad enough, but knowing that there are a lot more svirfneblin that are either blind or mute that are forced to work for Poquelin's minions is just outright tried to approach and apeak to the deep gnomes, but whenever they heard our footsteps or voices, they whipered fearfully and tired to run away from us. Whoever these deep gnomes work for, enjoy seeing them terrified, and that is just downright sickening. If this person happens to be a drow, I would not be surprised in the slightest.

We continued wandering through the giant mushroom rooms until we reached a large room that seems to be a large throne room, with two rectangular pools of water behind two large stone golems. And in between those golems a few feet further back is the person we are looking for, Malavon, one of the people Poquelin entrusted a badge to, sitting in his throne on the other side of the room, and he and his golems held a dozen svirfneblin slaves hostage. Apparently Malavon knew we were coming and had set up this dramatic scenery hoping we will cease hostilities. Malavon is a drow, much to my surprise. He wore red and brown mage robes, his eyes are black instead of red, and his hair visibly extends down to his shoulders.

"Hold it!" He exclaimed as soon as we entered his room, and we did as we were told, not moving an inch, but Lysara and I trained our ranged weapons on him. "Take one more step and these slaves will die. You see the golems to each side of me? They are more than capable of killing all of these pathetic creatures."

I should have expected this much from a drow, holding hostages in fornt of us to make us surrender any intentions of hostility.

"And yet you need these so-called "pathetic creatures" to do your dirty work. What's your problem, drow? too afraid to face us in a fair fight?" I called out to him.

Malavon grinned and crossed his arms proudly. "No, not really. I just like using morality against people," he said, casually. "I also like watching these worms die. Why not combine the two? It's fun for everyone. Well, maybe just for me. I don't know. I haven't been out of here much recently. Why should I? Ha ha! I can see everything from here! I AM ALWAYS WATCHING, WATCHING!" He exclaimed like a crazed madman.

I had an itch on my finger to pull the trigger and end Malavon's life now.

"My ancestors and the Seldarine had every right to banish your kind to the Underdark after The Crown Wars!" I exclaimed angrily.

"And I'm calling your bluff, drow. You're not going to kill those slaves," Andy added.

Malavon didn't look intimidated at all. He just laughed. "You're going to feel very bad in just a moment. But I... oh, I will feel oh so *good*. Ha ha ha! Suffer! Suffer!" He exclaimed, and then the golems began to make their move, and the deep gnomes held hostage cried out in terror.

"Not so fast!" Andy exclaimed.

I didn't know what he planned on doing, but I got my answer when I saw him dig a handful of sulfur out of his pocket and began to cast a spell. He's going to use the Fireball spell on Malavon, the golems, and the deep gnomes too! But I realized that Andy knew that there is no way to save the deep gnomes, so he might as well catch Malavon by surprise while he believes our morals would prevent us from harming the deep gnomes. Andy threw the fireball directly at Malavon, and the ball of fire exploded upon impact, engulfing Malavon and several gnomes in fire, but the two golems were unaffected, and they started lumbering towards us. I fired my crossbow bolt at the head of the golem to my left, Lysara fired at the one to the right, Andy fired a magic missile at the golem I shot at, Ordmar charged at the golem Andy and I attacked, along with Gorris, Felicia and Xalorn, ignoring and running past the shriveling bodies of deep gnomes on fire. Their screams of pain still haunt my memories to this day.

Malavon is still alive, but on fire, and attempting to jump in one of the pools of water. By the time I loaded a quarrel that deals electricity damage into my crossbow, Malavon had already jumped into the pool of water and doused the fire from his body, and I had an idea. Instead of taking aim at Malavon's head or body, I took aim at the water he is in and fired. The quarrel I fired flew in between one of the golem's legs and hit the surface of the pool, then I saw Malavon's body jerking violently from the surges of electricity caused by the quarrel I fired. Malavon couldn't escape from the water conducting the electricity from my crossbow bolt and soon his body became lifeless, laying face down in the pool, floating there. And afterwards we destroyed his two golems. Now we need to find his badge.

* * *

Walking over to the pool he is in, I pulled his body close to the edge with my sword and checked the pockets of his robes and found nothing.

"Damn it!" I cursed.

"What is it? Did you find the badge?"

"No! He doesn't have it on him!" I exclaimed.

"Well... why don't we check his bedroom?" Gorris said, pointing over at passageway leading to another room 20 feet northeast from us.

I felt so relieved to know that not all hope is lost. "Good thinking, Gorris," I congratulated him before moving across the large spa/living room before entering Malavon's bedroom. His bedroom is small, circular and not very spacious. His bed is strangely shaped like a petal of a clover, there is a large bookshelf, and a slim rectangular desk with two lit candles on it. Felicia and Gorris checked the bookshelf, Lysara and Xalorn checked on and under the desk, Andy checked under the bed, and Ordmar checked in Malavon's wardrobe. We turned up nothing, so we had no choice but to retrace our steps back to the rooms where the large mushrooms are being cared for by the blind deep gnomes who were not used as fodder. In the third room, we noticed a passage way into a new room that we never noticed before. Out of curiosity, we entered the room, and we found something much more disgusting and horrifying than the fact that Malavon has blind slaves.

We found ourselves in an experiment room. There are five large glass containers in this room, and each of them hold large, bulky figures inside, which I believed are umber hulks. Turns out I was only half right.

"What is Malavon doing with these?" Xalorn wondered aloud.

"I... have no idea," Felicia said with worry.

We could feel it in our bones. Malavon is up to something horrific here. We didn't know what until Andy noticed the tarnished bronze plaques in front of each glass tank.

"Hey! These plaques here tell us what we need to know!" Andy said, and began reading the plaque he is standing in front of aloud. "Mycohulk E - Failed After 10 Days, 10 Hours, 3 Minutes - Diseased"..." Then he gasped. "Oh my gods...! These are not normal umber hulks! These are myconid-umber hulk hybrids in these tanks!

"What?!" Ordmar exclaimed in shock.

I looked up at the glass tank I was standing in front of to the left of the tank Andy is checking, taking notice of the large inanimate body floating lifelessly in the unhealthy looking fluid. I read the plaque aloud. "Mycohulk D - Failed After 2 Minutes - Missing Heart"..." I clenched my fists. "Godsdamned drow..." I muttered angrily.

We also learned that Mycohulk C died 3 days ago for unknown reasons, Mycohulk B died because of insufficient lung capacity, and Mycohulk A died because of an immature brain stem.

"This damned Malavon is a madman!" Gorris exclaimed.

"The drow had no respect for the natural world," I agreed with Gorris.

"They were beautiful, weren't they?" A familiar voice said behind us.

Startled, we turned around to see... Malavon!

"What?! How?! I killed you!" I exclaimed in shock.

Malavon laughed. "I have to admit, you did an excellent job of disposing of my simulacrum! It took me a long time to make him, but money is no object when the suffering of others is the greatest reward. Ha ha ha!"

"I take it money is no object in defiling nature either?" I questioned the drow, trying to keep my anger in check.

"Ah, I see you have discovered my failed handiwork. Yes, the myconid-umber hulk hybridization experiment was a complete failure, but I have to admit, that it was a pretty ambitious plan. Revered Brother Poquelin has many grand schemes but one failure isn't enough to delay what he plans on doing.

"You are a bigger monster than Saablic Tan," Gorris growled.

Malavon raised an eyebrow in amusement. "That old fool is still alive, and you've met him? No matter. Saablic Tan always thought _he _was the master of magic. Always turning me away, always sending his precious, stinking orogs after my little umber hulks, training them to kill my pets on sight! I had the last laugh, though, when I turned _him _into an umber hulk and placed him among his twisted creatures. And now, for meddling in my affairs, all of you will suffer a similar fate. You've butchered my servants and wrecked my hime. The tide turns... NOW!"

Before we could react, as soon as Malavon shouted "NOW", a dark purple aura surrounded him, and suddenly a dozen darts of pure magical energy shot out from Malavon's body, damaging equipment, rupturing three of the tanks containing the mycohulks, and wounding Gorris, Andy and Lysara in the process Some of the magical darts of energy missed us, fortunately. This spell that Malavon cast is a special magic spell he personally created called "Malavon's Rage". I don't think he ever used this spell before, so he didn't expect us to survive the barrage of magical darts.

Giving him no time to react, Lysara and I shot him down. Lysara fired an arrow at his chest and I fored a quarrel into his head, and that was enough to drop him to the floor.

"Are you okay?" I checked Gorris's wound close to his left bicep.

"Yeah. I'll live," Gorris said then winced when he tried to stand up on his feet. Ordmar checked Lysara's wound and bandaged it, and Felicia checked Andy's wound on his shoulder and made him drink a healing potion.

I walked over to Malavon's body and checked his robes, pulling out a black steel plate which bears Malavon's symbol, a red engraving of an eye. That's three badges down, and three more to go.

* * *

We left Malavon's home and returned to the main district of Lower Dorn's Deep, and we approached this strange circular platform that is attached to four chains tied up above to a mechanism that lowers the platform down to the oubliette. We stood on that platform, then pulled a lever nearby, and the wheel nearby gave the chain holding the platform we are on more and more slack, causing it to descend, the chains slowly lowering the platform down with us on it. The descent took five minutes. Eventually we found ourselves in a part of the cavern where there are many, and I mean MANY shining crystals! Their brightness gave the area so much light, we don't even need a torch to get around! As soon as the elevator platform touched the ground, we disembarked and moved forward.

We then took noticed that we are not alone in the oubliette. There is a group of deep gnomes here who are apparently not blind, but mining the crystals, loading them in mine carts and carrying them off somewhere. I felt the need to ask one of them for information, so I decided ot approach one of them.

"Uh, hello..." I said awkwardly, speaking Common since I don't know a single word of the svirfneblin language.

The deep gnome I spoke to wearily turned around to face me and looked up at me and sighed. "Go away," he said wearily, his voice tired and raspy, as if his throat has been dry for two days, and his breathing sounded shallow, too. "Can't Marketh's goons pick on someone else? Give old Tarnelm a rest."

"Where are we?" I asked, looking at the bright gems around us.

"It's an oubliette, genius," the deep gnome replied almost irritably. "This is where that deranged, sadistic bastard Marketh throws svirfneblin when we're too weak to work in the mines or the refinery."

"Are you all right? Your breathing sounds very shallow," I said with genuine concern, but Tarnelm seemed unconvinced.

"That's nice. Feign caring. It must give you some sort of cruel delight to see someone cheer up right before you shove your stinking boot in their face," Tarnelm said sullenly.

I looked back at my companions for a second then turned my attention back on Tarnelm. "Come on. We are not your enemy. I didn't come here to hurt you or any of your kin, I said sincerely.

Tarnelm sighed in resignation, which sounded as shallow as his breathing. "Well, if you're such a kindly soul, why don't you get out of here and bring us some food? My breathing isn't getting any better by choking on rock and dust all the time. While you're at it, why don't you kill the salamanders at the top of the chain elevator?" Tarnelm asked, pointing back at the elevator platform several feet behind us.

"Where can we find some food?" I asked.

Tarnelm shook his head. "You're a smart one, aren't you? Obviously the salamanders don't eat our food. Why don't you try checking the small palace off of Durdel Anatha? Marketh lives there. There should be some food there. If you are especially brave, you could try checking the domes in the Artisan District... Ma... Malavon might..."

"Malavon?" I interrupted Tarnelm. "He's dead, friend. You don't need to worry about him anymore."

Tarnelm's eyes lit up, and some of his friends who were within earshot of my voice stopped working and looked at me and my companions in shock.

"What? You got rid of _Malavon?" _Tarnelm asked in shock and a little disbelief.

I nodded and showed Tarnelm Malavon's badge.

Tarnelm smiled now. "Well, Calladuran be praised. I never thought I'd live to see the day when that insane bastard got his due. You and your friends seem like decent fellows. I'll show you how to get to a safe haven if you'll help my people," he promised.

"It's a deal. We'll head to that palace in Durdel Anatha and find some food, and some water, too," I promised before following my companions back to the elevator and ascending upwards back to Durdel Anatha, where we proceeded to navigate through the streets, making our way to the palace several blocks ahead of us.

Whenever we encountered s patrolling group of salamanders, Gorris, Xalorn, Ordmar and Felicia never tried to engage them in melee combat, instead, they relied on me, Lysara and Andy to bring down the salamanders we encounter with out arrows, crossbow bolts and magic spells. Getting close to these salamanders will cook our skin for sure.

It took a while, but we managed to reach the palace's entrance, but our progress got halted because a group of thieves, five of them, acting as guards, led by a halfling man with short red hair and a scar running down on his hairless left cheek guarded the entrance, and they saw us coming.

"Hold it!" The halfling called to us, stopping us in our tracks. "Who are ye, and what business do ye have in this palace?" the halfling asked us.

"We are mercenaries seeking employment under Revered Brother Poquelin. We have been requested to serve as guards in the courtyard of this palace. Marketh personally ordered this," I replied, wondering how much of my lie will hold.

The halfling, who is named Seth, didn't seem to buy into my alibi.

"That's_ Lord Chamberlain Marketh_ to you, new meat. And since when did he request for more guards? It's strange I wasn't warned about this..."

"Maybe he doesn't want us to know every single detail, Seth," a human man with short oiled black hair said with uncertainty.

Seth cast a withering glare at his fellow guard. "I wasn't asking you, long limbs," he berated the man, then he turned his attention to me.

"So, elf, do ye have proof that Lord Chamberlain Marketh summoned you and your rag-tag party here?" He asked me.

"Uh..." I stalled for a moment, trying to think of a good alibi. "Not exactly, but we heard from one of your scouts and this frost salamander named Keresh that the pay is very good."

Seth raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Did he, now?" Then he rubbed his hairless chin in thought. "Hmm. Interesting. You know what? We'll let ya come in. Follow us," he instructed, and we followed him and three of his guards into the palace while the rest stayed behind to guard the entrance.

I expected to come into the foyer of the palace, but instead, the entrance took us straight into the palace's courtyard, with a statue of Malavon at the center, surrounded by these large human sized mushroom looking creatures. They are not myconids, I knew that much. Seth and his three thugs led on, walking on the cobblestone roads. There courtyard is mostly grass and flowers with green fireflies flying about, but there are also fat mushrooms that are as tall as a human littered in several places around the courtyard. Seth instructed us to stay away from them unless we want our eardrums to get damaged.

"Why not? What are those big mushrooms things?" Gorris asked Seth.

"Them? Those are Shriekers. Big mushrooms that start shrieking something fierce like a dozen terrified lasses if you get too close to them. The buggers are relatively harmless, but we use them as alarms to signal to us that intruders have invaded the palace," Seth replied while leading us to the northern part of the courtyard.

We passed by a bronze statue of a human man in royal garb standing tall and proud like an elegant statesman, and next the statue is a statue of a dwarf, with the head and torso missing, only the lower body and feet are seen.

"Hey Seth. Who is that?" I asked, pointing at the statue of the human.

"That? Why, that is the Lord Chamberlain Marketh himself. Beauty, ain't it? A deep gnome named Callard and his son sculpted this statue themselves. Originally this palace belonged to the old king of Dorn's Deep, Dorn himself, but ever since Revered Brother Poquelin and Marketh took over this palace, they had many deep gnomes tear down the statue of Dorn. What remains of it is right there. Callard and several other deep gnomes were reluctant to tear down the statue, but we made them do it anyway. Flozem, one of Marketh's bodyguards drew a picture of Marketh and gave it to Callard so that he would have no need to have Marketh himself stand next to the statue to get the sculpture correct all down to the smallest detail. Now, enough of this, I didn't come here to play tour guide. Let's introduce ya to Marketh."

There are five exits out of the palace courtyard, but one of them, which is in the northwestern corner of the courtyard had stairs that takes us up to the first floor of the palace. The inside of the palace looks elegant but old. The floor tiles are cracked, and along the walls there are many banners with the false holy symbol of Ilmater on them, and underneath it, another symbol, which is a circumscribed pickaxe, which is likely Marketh's symbol. We were taken to a guest room where we were told to wait. We weren't sure if we should wait, but we waited anyway. A few minutes later, two of Marketh's bodyguards, Fleezum and Flozem, two men who are identical twins, dressed in blood red colored full plate body armor. Then coming into the room behind them came Marketh himself and next to him, his concubine, a drow woman who has her right arm lovingly tucked under his left arm, much to my utter surprise. Marketh looks and dresses like royalty, but it isn't hard to see that he is just a common thief and thug trying to dress up and act like a king. He is a tall man, just shy of a few inches shorter than Gorris, he has long, oiled reddish brown hair styled into a mullet, his facial hair is recently trimmed to stubble, and he has dark brown eyes, and when I saw him smile, I noticed that he is missing one of his upper front teeth. His drow wife is a foot shorter compared to him, she has black eyes, she wore a lavender colored silk nightgown that looked very comfortable to wear, especially when relaxing in a bed.

"Well well! Isn't this a pleasant surprise!" He exclaimed joyously by way of greeting. "You know, it's not very often that mercenaries come to me looking for a job. I consider it an honor. Well met, strangers. I am Lord Chamberlain Marketh. I am responsible for making sure that New Dorn's Deep runs smoothly and efficiently, among other things. I've been told that you are seeking me out. What I can't quite put my finger on is how did you know to find me here."

"Well, it's simple," Andy blurted out before I could say anything. "We are not just mercenaries, we are adventurers. We heard about the ruins of Dorn's Deep and decided to explore it. We didn't expect this place to be inhabited, but when we heard about you from Keresh, we decided to hire ourselves to you, for money and food, which we are in short supply of right now, as you can see."

Marketh nodded in agreement. "Quite. It is indeed a very long road to get here. Well, I am a generous man, after all, as you can see, I appreciate you offering your services to me, and in return, I offer you the opportunity to dine with me and my beloved wife, Ginafae," Marketh turned his attention to her resting her head on his shoulder. "Would you like to have dinner with our guests here, my love?" He asked her, and I thought I heard a small hint of a malevolent threat in his voice.

She nodded a few times. "Yes... That would be wonderful," she said almost reluctantly, but at the same time, bringing her left arm up to Marketh's chest and gently rubbing it.

I then got this feeling that this couple is not an entirely happy couple at all.

"What say all of you?" Marketh turned his attention to us.

"Yeah. I'm game," Gorris immediately stood up from his chair.

"I can't say no to free food," Xalorn shrugged.

* * *

A few minutes later, we found ourselves in the banquet room of the palace, sitting at a table that is 27 feet in width and 6 feet in length, with Fleezum and Flozem standing a few feet behind Marketh's chair like the loyal bodyguards they are, discouraging any thoughts of attacking their so-called king. Marketh sat at the far left end of the table, Ginafae sat next to him at the edge of the lower part of the table. I sat across from Felicia, I sat in between Andy and Gorris, Ordmar and Xalorn sat near Felicia, and Lysara sat next to Ordmar, just two empty chairs away from Ginafae. On the table sat a wide variety of foods. So many kinds of cakes, fruits and other delicacies that I can't waste time describing. I do recall that they had corn on the cob, mashed potatoes and gravy, and chicken too. Gorris and Andy loved eating those. There are not only a wide variety of foods, but also a wide variety of drinks. Everyone except Ordmar were a bit cautious to drink the ale, wine or beer we were offered, because we believed that they could be poisonous. Ordmar, however, didn't care, drinking a flagon of strong dwarven ale.

After Marketh's chef came in to set down a plate full of cooked corn, cranberries and dressing in front of Xalorn, I decided to start a conversation with our host who has the next badge we need to obtain.

"So, Marketh. This is quite the posh setup you have here. Were you always rich, or did someone help elevate your status?" I asked.

Marketh chuckled after drinking his champagne. "Ah, therein lies an interesting story. Since you are an elf, Jovan, this may surprise you. It was Revered Brother Poquelin who placed me as the most important person here."

I blinked in surprise. "Really? How did you end up here?" I asked in utter confusion.

"Oh, haha. It's a fairly long story, just let me find a way to cut it short. *Ahem*. Years ago, I used to be part of a silly adventuring company. I was in it for the money. They were in it for some sort of "noble cause"," Marketh said, making air quotations with his fingers when he said "noble cause". "That's what brought us here. They came to stop Revered Brother Poquelin. After we had slaughtered most of Poquelin's best minions, he offered us all jobs working for him. But of course, the leader of the company, a stupid paladin whose name escapes my memory, started spouting off about how Poquelin will pay for his evil and so on. That's when I decided to slip my dagger into our wizard's back. He died without a sound. I killed our priest too. Poquelin made short work of the paladin. He appreciated my help and style. The rest is history."

"Except how you met your wife there. How did you meet her? To my knowledge, it is highly uncommon for drow to be married to a surface dweller of any race," Felicia added.

Marketh didn't reply immediately at first. "I'd rather not talk about that," he said, trying to suppress his anger.

"Could you tell us why you married Marketh?" Felicia asked Ginafae curiously.

Ginafae said nothing in response, she only glanced at Felicia with sad eyes for only a split second, then continued pushing the broccoli around her plate, rolling it in the mashed potatoes and such.

"Forgive my wife," Marketh apologized. "She is not used to speaking to strangers, let alone our own mercenaries."

Felicia blinked in surprise, feeling suddenly guilty about asking Ginafae such a personal question. "Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

Ginafae shook her head in acceptance of Felicia's apology. "No, it's fine," were her only words to us through the entire feast.

Marketh cracked a smile, trying to lighten the mood and said: "Enough about us. Tell us a little about yourselves."

We all knew that we had to be careful how we replied tohis question, because if he learns that we are here seeking out his badge, things will get ugly very quick, and we are completely unarmed at the moment, our weapons and body armor kept in the guest rooms and all.

"Where should I start?" I asked Marketh with a clueless shrug. "We were once adventurers who worked alone, but when we met each other three summers ago, we decided that we would make a better team together than... well... not together," I said.

There was now a pregnant silence between us and Marketh, and all he did was put his hands together and rested them under his chin, pondering my words over.

"Some of us have a history we rather forget or at least not talk about," Gorris told Marketh.

Marketh nodded to show that he understood, but I could tell by the look in his eyes that he suspects or is wary of something.

"I understand. We all have one of those," he admitted nonchalantly.

"Tell us, Lord Marketh, how do you run New Dorn's Deep? Do you rule it like a fair and just leader, or do you run people you consider lower than you to the ground when you feel like doing so?" Ordmar asked him.

I wanted Ordmar to shut up, but I can't do anything about it now, besides, he is not sitting next to me. I knew Ordmar is upset at how the deep gnomes are being treated here, and frankly, I was upset about it too, but we need to keep a low profile here as often as possible, this palace is full of thieves and mercenaries hired to be Marketh's soldiers and bodyguards.

"If my superior needs something done, it must be done, whatever the cost. I don't have the luxury or time to be burdened by ethics, my friend, I'm sorry," Marketh said; he wasn't offended, just feeling somewhat indifferent.

"I understand that ye're just followin' orders and all, but have ye ever stopped to consider that yer boss might be... *evil*?" Ordmar asked him calmly.

Now Marketh rolled his eyes in a tiresome fashion. "Oh, here it comes. "You're grinding up people and destroying their lives... blah, blah, blah... the children... blah, blah, blah..."..." Marketh paused then sighed. "I didn't claw my way up to the top of the heap just to be taken down by something as pathetic as moral sentiment. Give it a rest."

"No, Ordmar, he's right, calm down," I said, taking the opportunity to defend our cover. "We are mercenaries now. We shouldn't question the morals of our employers. They have their reasons for doing what they do, and so do we," I continued.

Ordmar gave an odd look at me then nodded slowly. "Fine. I understand," he said.

I looked over at Marketh, and I noticed that he too had an odd look in his eyes, like he suspected something, I'm not sure. Then he stood up out of his chair. "If you'll please excuse me, I have matters I must attend to. Please, enjoy the cornbread and fig cakes. My favorite chef makes the best of those." Then he turned his attention to Ginafae. "Come, my beloved," he said.

Ginafae slowly stood up out of her chair and followed Marketh out the door, and Fleezum followed them, but Flozem stayed where he stood.

"I'll escort you back to your guest rooms when you are ready," he told us.

Andy nodded. "Thanks," was all he said.


	10. Chapter 10 The Truth Unravels

The truth is, even though we were given guest rooms, none of us were foolish enough to remove our weapons and armor, fall into our beds and rest, not with the possibility of Marketh suspecting who we really are, if Revered Brother Poquelin hasn't yet informed him of who we really are, which is impossible because we haven't even met Poquelin face-to-face yet. Instead, we met up in my room discussing our next plan of action.

"We can't keep this charade up any longer, Jovan. Sooner or later, we will have to make our move," Gorris told me.

I sighed and shook my head. "Gorris, your plan flies in the face of caution. We don't know for sure if Marketh suspects who we really are."

While Gorris and I were arguing, Andy glanced over at the door, thinking that someone could be eavesdropping in on our conversation, then he approached the door, slowly opened it, then poked his head out to see who is outside. He looked up and down the empty hallway and saw nobody. When he was sure we were clear, he retraced his head back into the room and closed the door.

"... My point is that there is no way subtlety is an option here. Chances are Marketh has the badge we need on his person, and the only way to get it is to kill him, and getting to him and killing him will cause quite a commotion in the palace- all of his guards will be coming after us," Gorris explained.

I didn't know how to reply to this, but I made it clear that I did not agree with his plan. What bothered me even more is that Ordmar, Xalorn and Lysara seemed inclined to agree with him.

"Ordmar, tell Gorris his plan is reckless, please!" I exclaimed.

Ordmar sighed, then stroked his beard. "Jovan, lad, I know ye mean well, but I gotta side with Gorris on this one. We just ain't got the equipment for a stealthy assassination attempt," he said.

"And one shadowdancer isn't enough to get the job done," Xalorn added, then looked down at Lysara, expecting her to resent his remark.

"Are you sure about that?" Lysara asked, raising an eyebrow. "Shadowdancers like myself are known to be "super rogues" because of our ability to harness the power of shadow magic instead of the type of magic Andy relies on."

Andy scoffed at her, kneeling down to her level. "Are you saying that you're a better spellcaster than I am?" He asked.

She smiled at him. "I'm saying that I can do things that you can't."

"Like what? We have never seen you use your Shadowdancer abilities before, not even once," Andy said.

At that moment, we heard someone knocking at our door. Cautiously, I approached the door and pulled it open, revealing Ginafae standing outside, wearing a purplish blue nightgown. What caught my interest about her, however, is that her right eye is nearly swollen shut, as if someone punched her in the face... and I had a feeling I knew who did it.

"H... hello," she greeted us meekly. "May... may I come in?"

Normally I have no love for drow, but as a gentleman, I don't have the heart to say no to a woman. Dark elf women would be an exception to other elves, but I have a feeling that Ginafae is no longer the Spider Queen worshiping, surface elf killing fanatics that I've heard throughout my childhood all drow are.

"You're Ginafae, Marketh's concubine, right?" Felicia asked her.

Ginafae nodded at her.

"What happened to your eye?" I asked.

"I... I accidentally fell... down the stairs," she replied, unable to look me in the eyes while slightly turning her head to the right.

Because of that, I knew that she is lying to me. Marketh punched her for some reason.

"You're lying to me, Ginafae. I know you are lying. What happened?" I asked her calmly.

"I..." I don't want to talk about it," she said.

"Fine, let's talk about something else. Why are you, a drow, married to a human? And how did you end up here?" Felicia asked, coming to my side to speak to the drow.

Ginafae sighed, then sat down on the treasure chest placed near the foot of my bed.

"I should have seen my fate coming years ago," she began, her voice half broken with grief. "I abused Malavon constantly while he was growing up. A few years ago, when Revered Brother Poquelin and his lieutenants met with my people, I slighted Marketh. I wouldn't speak to him because he was male. Instead, I spoke with Maiden Ilmadia. After long discussion, our city could find no reason to ally with Poquelin. Unlike the rest of my people, Malavon wanted to join with the Revered Brother. I discovered his intentions, so he abducted me and took me to Marketh for "safekeeping". They eventually found out anyway. Now Poquelin is planning some sort of assault on my former home. And I... I am left here with Marketh."

"So, you just surrendered yourself to him? Let him abuse and hit you whenever he likes? You need to have more self-respect for yourself, this is shameful," Felicia said disdainfully.

"Lass, do ye realize ye're speaking to a durned drow?" Ordmar asked Felicia incredulously.

"Yeah. I mean, those guys don't have the cleanest reputation on Faerun, you know," Andy said, backing up Ordmar's concerns.

Felicia glared at them. "Have both of you no shame at all? Judging the morality of a person by their race?"

Andy and Ordmar blinked in surprise and stepped back a few inches.

"Whoa, hey, no need to get all offensive on us! All we are just saying is we should not let our guard down around drow, that's all, they are masters of deception after all," Andy stated.

"Yeah. For all we know, Marketh could have sent her to us here as a distraction, she probably has got some kind of poisonous weapon hidden somewhere in her nightgown. We should check her just in case," Gorris was about to approach Ginafae, causing her to flinch in surprise, and he had his hands outstretched, prepared to touch her body for any concealed weapons, but I slapped his hands down, stopping him, then he looked at me in confusion, and I shook my head while glaring at him to let him know that he should keep his hands to himself at all times.

"I have no tricks up my sleeve," Ginafae admitted.

"Oh, I see. So you're the typical damsel in distress, huh? Do you want us to take care of Marketh for you or something?" Lysara asked.

"No!" Ginafae immediately jumped to her feet. She paused when she noticed us staring at her in surprise at her outburst. "Please don't," she added more calmly and quietly. "Whatever he's done, you must promise me you won't hurt him."

"I'm afraid we can't guarantee that promise, Ginafae. He has something that we need to reach Revered Brother Poquelin. His badge. And chances are he won't just hand it over to us," I explained.

"I know about the badges, and I know that you seek them, because word has spread of Malavon's death. I had a feeling that whoever killed Malavon would likely come after Marketh next, and I prepared myself for this eventuality." She put her right hand into the modest obsidian curve of her cleavage and pulled out Marketh's badge. "Here is what you are looking for. I secretly stole it from him so that I can give it to you without letting you be forced to face him in battle," she said, holding the badge up so we can see it.

The badge seemed genuine, the pickaxe symbol engraved on the badge matches the pickaxe emblems on the banners out in the hallways. I wanted to take the badge, but I had a feeling that there must be a secret catch to it.

"I don't understand. You owe Marketh no loyalty, but yet, you put up with his harsh treatment as if you were obligated to. Why?" I asked her.

Ginafae sighed. "Ever since I became his concubine, I reflected on how I led my life. Before this, when I was a proud and loyal servant of the Spider Queen, every priestess, including myself, saw all males, not just drow males, as inferior, which is why I slighted Marketh but respected Ilmadia. Because I was arrogant. Being under Marketh's "care" taught me some... humility. It taught me that there are males worthy of respect, and I want Marketh to see that I have learned the error of my ways, no matter what it takes."

"I still can't see it yet because you still prove yourself to be the disrespectful, traitorous wench you are!" A voice behind the closed door suddenly said with spiteful malice.

Suddenly the door got kicked wide open, and there stood Flozem with his right leg outstretched, then he planted his right leg on the ground then stepped aside to let Marketh and Fleezum enter the room then he stepped in behind Marketh.

"How much have you heard?" I asked them.

"We've heard enough," Fleezum admitted, cracking his knuckles in anticipation for a fight.

"I figured it was no coincidence that you new faces would show up so quickly after I received word of Malavon's death. Have you come to end my life as well? You will find that I am better protected than that drow fool Malavon," Marketh said adamantly.

"Being the chamberlain of a city does not make you any more invincible than your partners," Xalorn spat.

Marketh chuckled at the half-orc. "I admire your bravado, half-orc, but realize that I have outsmarted you all and have you beaten..." Then he turned his attention to his concubine. "As for you... I will have to think of the worst punishment meant for a disloyal woman like you," he hissed two inches from her face, and I could see some of his spittle land on her face.

"Disloyal?" She repeated incredulously. "I was trying to save your life!"

In response, Marketh snatched his badge out of her hands.

"By handing over MY badge to them?! How is that saving my life, huh?!"

"They are after Revered Brother Poquelin, not you! If I give them your badge they would leave us alone!" Ginafae shot back.

Marketh slapped her across her face so hard she yelped and collapsed to the floor.

"That's gonna leave a mark," Flozem chuckled.

"_You foolish dark elven wench!_ By defying me, you defy my master who has given me everything I've ever wanted: power and respect. And for that, you deserve a punishment worse than death," Marketh sneered. "Fleezum, Flozem, take her to the torture chambers at once," he commanded.

As the twin bodyguards picked Ginafae back up on her feet, Lysara took this opportunity to do something unexpected. Using her abilities as a shadowdancer rogue, she summoned a Shadow monster, the same type of Shadow creatures we saw outside the tombs at the Vale of Shadows before we met Kresselack. The creature materialized from the shadowy upper left corner of the room where the candle light cannot quite reach behind Marketh, Fleezum and Flozem. I saw the shadow monster, it looked like a dark gray transparent image of a human woman with pieces of tattered cloth draped all around her torso. Then Lysara silently commanded her shadow creature to attack Marketh by embracing him in a tight hug from behind. Then the Shadow shrieked and wrapped its arms around Marketh's neck. The monster's shriek startled Fleezem and Flozem into releasing Ginafae from their grasp, but Marketh barely had time to react. All he felt were cold arms around his neck and shoulders, and the creature's incorporeal body bracing against his back, sending sharp, cold chills running up and down his body. Marketh started failing around, yelling "Get it off me!" continuously.

Now was our time to act. We grabbed our weapons and attacked Fleezem, Flozem and a few other guards that came into the room upon hearing Marketh's screams for help. Ginafae tried to save Marketh by trying to pry the shadow creature's arms off from around his body.

"No! Don't touch...!" I exclaimed, trying to warn Ginafae not to touch the Shadow, but my warning got cut off short when I found myself forced to parry the aggressive sword strikes of one of the guards.

Marketh felt his strength slowly draining away because of the shadow monster's cold touch, and so did Ginafae, but she never gave up trying to pull the creature off her abusive "lover". Eventually Marketh and Ginafae grew so weak they died from lack of energy. Marketh collapsed knees first, collapsing on top of Ginafae seconds after she collapsed, his body on top of hers their corpses forming the shape of the letter "X", then the shadow creature moved on to attack one of Marketh's guards at Lysara's command. Some guards noticed the monster and ran out the room screaming in fear, allowing us to leave the guest room littered with dead bodies I realized that I nearly forgot about Marketh's badge, so I grabbed it out of his cold dead hand. I remembered that we were supposed to get some food for the deep gnomes down in the oubliette, so we went into the kitchen and stole two bags of raw potatoes and seven bottles of strawberry flavored wine. Making our way out Marketh's fortress wasn't easy. We had to fight our way past several thieves and a few mages belonging to the Kraken Society. Actually, it was Andy who recognized them as being members of the Kraken Society because they wore the emblem of a kraken with countless tentacles on their clothing or armor, and they are enemies of the mages who are members of the Host Tower of the Arcane. The Kraken Society is a secret society of thieves and mages. Andy doesn't know anything else about them, but he had heard rumors from his parents that the society is led by a kraken wizard. Personally, I find that hard to believe. Eventually we made our way to the courtyard and made our way south back to the front entrance of the palace. We accidentally made a few Shrieker mushrooms start shrieking by running a little too close to them, but we didn't care, the palace is on high alert already with Marketh and Ginafae dead, all we cared about is escaping this palace with our lives. We fought our way past Seth and his guards, killing them all, and we ran into that animated body armor again.

"So long as I cannot rest, you shall not rest," the voice of Durdel Anatha said through the animated body armor.

"Again?" Gorris moaned.

After reducing the living pieces of body armor into a damaged pile. we made our way back to the oubliette elevator after wandering through the streets and made our way down.

* * *

As soon as the elevator touched down, weary Tarnelm and a few of his friends approached us since they weren't far away to greet us. He noticed the two bags Xalorn is carrying.

"Is that... what I think it is...?" He whispered almost inaudibly, his throat dry and parched.

"Yes, it is. Food for you and your kin, Tarnelm. And some wine to wash it all down," I said, and we have them the sacks of potatoes and the bottles of wine.

Tarnelm and his friends were shocked beyond belief- they didn't expect us to follow through on our promise.

"Well, I'll be damned! I never would have expected anyone to help us. You and your group don't seem half bad after all. Perhaps you could help us with something else..." Tarnelm said then began drinking a bottle of wine, greedily chugging the liquid down while his friends dug into the bags for the potatoes or some went for the bottles of wine first.

"Certainly. Tell us what you need, and we'll see what we can do," I promised.

Tarnelm wiped the drops of liquid on his chin with the back of his right hand before speaking. "My people are located a short distance from here in a camp. The umber hulks are having trouble finding it for now, but they won't for long. If you can make it there, you can seek shelter. Of course, we'd appreciate it if you could defend us from the umber hulks."

I nodded, then rubbed my chin after Tarnelm was done speaking. "How do we get there?" I asked.

"Go to the northeastern corner of the Pit. There's a plateau there. If you walk around there for a while, the hulks will eventually come looking for you. I can feel them burrowing below us even now. Once they get through, you can enter the twisting tunnel maze on the other side. Use the glowing red gems to find your way to our camp," Tarnelm replied.

"I don't get it. Why don't the umber hulk use the path, if it's so easy to follow?" Gorris asked Tarnelm curiously.

In response, Tarnelm grinned, showing his pale white teeth. "Well, you see, the umber hulks eyes can't detect red light very well, especially when they're burrowing. They have strange, clear skin on their eyes that can protect them from debris when they rush around. It's very difficult for them to detect the gem's particular tint of light."

"Ah, that makes sense. Thanks, Tarnelm," Andy said.

Since we are in the northwestern corner of the Pit, we simply have to make our way east, and so east we walked. As we walked away, I noticed that Tarnelm and his friends went around passing potatoes and bottles of wine to their friends who have passed out due to fatigue, thirst and starvation. The crystals around us shone such a strong light of blue that the illumination stretched 30 yards away towards the edge of what seems to be the Pit Tarnelm mentioned ahead. The Pit seems to be a large bottomless pit from what I can tell, since I kicked a rock down to see if I could hear it land on the ground, but I heard nothing, meaning the pit must be hundreds of feet deep. We moved towards the Pit's edge and then headed northeast, as Tarnelm instructed us, away from the illumination of the bright crystals near the oubliette elevator. The crystals around us on the ground and walls provided enough light for us to see without relying on Andy's Light cantrip, but the scary thing is, along the way to the plateau, the crystals didn't provide enough illumination for us to see a giant rhinoceros beetle until we got 5 feet close to one. I've never seen a beetle as big as an elephant before, but it is, and I don't think any of my companions have either, but seeing them is a bit terrifying, especially knowing that they are hostile towards us and could use their large horns to impale us or their pincers large enough to snap a tree in half to snap us in half.

Fortunately Gorris, Ordmar and Xalorn weren't afraid to get up close and personal with them. With their melee weapons, they bashed, sliced and diced the giant beetles until their intestines and a few other organs spilled out of their damaged hides. My crossbow bolts and Lysara and Felicia's arrows and Andy's sling bullets weren't enough to bring down the big bugs. Andy could have used a magic missile on them, but I guess he wanted to save his spells for more serious fights in the near future. I don't understand how Tarnelm and his friends can work here with such hostile creatures nearby. Maybe giant rhino beetles are friendly towards deep gnomes, or their eyes are sensitive to the harsh light of the large crystals and gems near the oubliette elevator, who knows? Eventually we reached the plateau after fighting our way past four giant rhinoceros beetles. We eventually reached the northeastern corner and waited at the plateau, which is close to the walls of the cavern, and soon we felt gradually increasing tremors at our feet.

And before we knew it, a small group of umber hulks tunneled their way out the walls toward us, bursting out of the walls and kicking up dust. We weren't caught off guard by their arrival, so we immediately attacked them, and Andy started using his magic spells this time to aid us. We fought seven umber hulks, believe it or not, until the tunnels were clear. We wouldn't have won if Andy hadn't used his Haste spell to give us speed advantage against the umber hulks, which had us attacking them at speeds they can't hope to follow or defend against. After that, we entered one of the umber hulk made tunnels and followed it to another part of the cavern lit by more dim blue crystals jutting out of the walls. Walking through those tunnels still powered by the Haste spell took us only 20 seconds, where if we weren't hasted, it would probably take 40 seconds or a little more. We saw the dimly glowing red lights about 60 yards northwest from our position, signifying the deep gnome camp is that way, and I smiled, thankful that umber hulks have poor eyesight like Tarnelm said. They missed the tunnels to the deep gnome camp by 60 yards!

We walked cautiously along the tunnels lined with glowing red gems, but it's hard to walk slowly when a magic spell that causes you to move faster than normal still has an effect on you. Fortunately, by the time we reached the camp sentries, the Haste spell wore off. We barely have a glimpse of the campsite, but it seems to be more than a campsite, more like a makeshift town, but the heavily armed deep gnome sentries gathered near a small black pit that takes in and takes out warm air made blocked our way, pointing bows at us, ready to fire Arrows of Biting at us if we make a wrong move. To show that we meant no harm, we froze and held our hands up.

"At ease, friends, we mean you no harm," I assured them.

The deep gnome in the middle of his fellow guards stepped forward towards us a few inches, still training his bow and arrow at my heart.

"Beware, travelers. If you mean to harm these people, I and my kin will stop you. This community of refugees has suffered enough. I am Beorn, Eighth Facet of Callarduran. Who are you?"

"I am Jovan, and these are my traveling companions. Tarnelm told us how to get here. We brought him and the others some food. He thought he could trust us," I replied.

I could hardly tell under the dim red light, but I think I saw Beorn arch his right eyebrow up in curiosity.

"Well, should he trust you?" He asked.

"Certainly. We have no intention of harming you or anyone else. If we did, we wouldn't have brought Tarnelm and his kin some food and drink," I said.

Beorn lowered his longbow, and gave hand signals to his fellow guards to do the same.

"Good. I am relieved to hear that. If you are a friend of Tarnelm and a helper of our people, you are our friend. You are welcome to rest here," he said.

"I'm sorry, we are not here to rest, Beorn," Gorris said. "We arrived here hoping we could get some assistance striking at Revered Brother Poquelin's followers. His lieutenants, to be exact."

"We already have four badges. All we need is two more," I said, backing up Gorris by showing Beorn the badges I've already collected.

Beorn and his guards simultaneously gasped in shock. "You... You mean... you killed Malavon and Marketh?" He asked in mild disbelief.

"If we didn't, we wouldn't be standing here," Xalorn snorted proudly.

Beorn and his kin still looked at us in disbelief, but I know they believed us, they just can't believe the fight against Poquelin and his minions is beginning to turn to their favor.

"This... This changes everything..." Beorn whispered in surprise. "All right, I'm sorry for doubting you, you have indeed proven yourselves to be friends. Follow me to the temple of Callarduran. We can speak more there," he told us.

We followed Beorn through the streets of the refugee camp made up of hundreds of tents, passing by a hundred deep gnomes, men, women and children. The streets were lit by multicolored lanterns, so light is not an issue here, but when my companions tried to talk to some of the deep gnomes, we realized that some of them have had their tongues cut out, hinting that some of these people are slaves rescued by Beorn and his resistance fighters. The temple Beorn is leading us to is further back away from the camp, in a secluded part of the cavern where eight large rectangular stone monuments stood erect, lit by dim red lanterns.

"Whoa..." Andy whispered in awe, eyeballing the monuments.

"What is this place...?" Lysara asked Beorn.

He turned to face us and smiled warmly, spreading his arms wide. "Welcome to our humble temple, my friends. As I said before, I am Beorn, Eighth Facet of Callarduran."

I reintroduced myself, then my companions introduced themselves.

"Who, if I may ask, is Callarduran?" Ordmar asked Beorn.

Beorn smiled again. "Callarduran Smoothhands is the god of my people. He helps us shape the stone, speak with the earth, and protect our people during hard times..." Beorn paused there, then let his arms slump down. "Even with his protection, however, we sometimes need help..." He said glumly.

"You need not say no more, Beorn. We will help you," Andy said.

Beorn felt relieved to hear that, as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. "I thank you. Here is the problem at hand. I know you killed Malavon already, but we are still in danger. His army of umber hulks are still trying to seek out our refugee camp. You see, we svirfneblin are inherently proof against magical detection... it is one of the only things that prevent the drow and duergar from slaughtering us. The umber hulks, however, can feel very subtle vibrations in the ground. With the increased activity in this area, it's only a matter of time before the hulks find us. On top of this, our Ruby priest, Guello, tried to save some of our people. He was captured by Marketh's henchman, Seth, and languishes in the mines. We need your help. We need you to rescue Guello from the mines and then protect our village from the umber hulk horde when it finds us. We would be most grateful."

"We already defeated the umber hulks hunting for your village, but we'll find him and rescue him. Where are the mines?" I asked.

"The mines are southeast of Durdel Anatha, south of the palace, and west of the Great Forge. Before you go, however, I suggest you buy supplies from a drow merchant named Nym. Very few of us in this camp trust him, but the weapons and items he sells may prove useful to you."

"We'll take your recommendation seriously, thank you, Beorn," I said before we turned our backs to him and left the temple.

* * *

We found the drow in the northwestern corner of the refugee camp, standing in front of a dark violet tent and standing behind a desk full of interesting items. Nym is tall and slender drow man with crimson eyes like most other drow, semi long white hair and he wore a gray tunic that looks very expensive, as if it came from an expensive tunic shop somewhere in Waterdeep. When he saw us approaching, he began speaking to us in his native language, smiling at us with a friendly smile that most likely conceals a deceptive, cunning mind.

"_Al'doer, malla uss, usstan zha sae'uth ulu al'doer dos ulu nindol talthalra. Usstan zha Nym. (Welcome, honored ones, I am pleased to welcome you to this meeting. I am Nym.)"_ He said, and hearing him speak the drow language instead of the common human language irked me a lot- I don't know if he was trying to spite me or not.

"Do not befoul this meeting with your corrupt dark elven speech," I warned him while trying to keep a civil attitude, though I had no idea what he just said to us.

Dark elf speech is different from the language of surface elves, by the way.

Nym nodded apologetically. "I apologize, honored customer. I will speak in your Common tongue for our mutual convenience. I am Nym."

"So, you are a merchant?" Gorris asked the drow.

"I am a merchant in these darkened caverns, yes. Contrary to what some surface-dwellers may think, there is an entire world down here. People have the same needs that they would have anywhere else. I satisfy those needs," Nym replied.

"Sounds pretty dangerous, being a merchant in the Underdark, where every corner is fraught with danger," Felicia said.

"For many, it is," Nym nodded an agreement. "However, I have been in this trade for over 400 years. I have seen my way into and out of places that no other dark elf has even seen. You'd be surprised how powerful a single merchant can be."

"Is that so? Where have you been? Can you name a few places?" Andy asked with curiosity while Ordmar and I checked the weapons, shields, gauntlets and other useful items Nym has set on the long rectangular desk for browsing.

"Ah, well... I have seen many things, been many places. The gem mines of Thay aren't quite as frightening as some might lead you to believe. The depths of the Moonsea *aren't* filled with undead. Oh, and the treasury of Dorn's Deep wasn't very secure even when it was inhabited by the dwarves," he told us.

We froze there, even Ordmar. Ordmar and I were on the far left side of the desk examining two +3 war axes and a golden brown helm, we slowly turned to face Nym, trying to keep our expressions neutral.

"Wait. What did you say...? You said something about the treasury of Dorn's Deep?" Ordmar asked Nym as politely as he could.

"The _darthiir_ _(elves)_ and dwarven artifacts produced by the so-called "Time of Cooperation" were too valuable to resist. Selling the artifacts to the goblinoid armies was the best business decision I ever made," Nym said proudly.

At all became clear now. We found the one responsible for selling the weapons and armor made by the elves of the Seldarine's Hand and the dwarves of Dorn's Deep to the orcs and goblins. It wasn't greedy dwarves who are to blame, it was Nym all this time, and both sides knew nothing about his presence or actions! I predicted that Ordmar would lash out at Nym, and I could have stopped him from jumping at Nym from across the table, but I didn't stop him, I didn't want to. In a flash, Ordmar snarled like a rabid dog and jumped at Nym over the table, tackling him to the ground.

"_Ye blackskin son of a bitch!_" Ordmar wailed angrily while he started pounding his right fist into Nym's face with his right hand, his left hand holding the color of Nym's tunic. "_Do ye have any idea of the trouble ye caused?! Thousands of dwarves and elves are dead because of yer filthy black heart!_"

"Hit him, Ordmar! Hit that bastard to a bloody pulp!" Gorris exclaimed.

"Damn drow. They can never be trusted. They should burn in the Nine Hells for all I care," I said, crossing my arms, watching Ordmar assault Nym.

Nym, while on the verge of blacking out, reached into the shirt pocket of his tunic and pulled out some kind of small talisman. He squeezed it tightly into his right hand and before Ordmar could land another punch, Nym disappeared into thin air, and instead of landing on a heavily bruised face, Ordmar's fist hit the ground instead. Realizing that Nym had escaped sent Ordmar into a rage of fury. He screamed in rage so loudly, every svirfneblin in the refugee camp heard him, and then he started trashing Nym's shop desk and destroying his tent, smashing anything breakable with his war hammer while cursing in the dwarven language for a few seconds, but then switching to the common human tongue for a few more seconds.

"_DAMN THAT DROW! DAMN THEM ALL! DAMN ALL OF THEIR BLACK HEARTS TO THE NINE HELLS!" _Ordmar screamed out in Common.

At that moment, several armed deep gnomes showed up to see what the commotion is. Even Beorn showed up. We explained that we had discovered that Nym is responsible for the deaths of all the elves of Severed Hand, and the dwarves of Dorn's Deep, and this revelation led enraged Ordmar into attacking him.

"I knew that Nym couldn't be trusted, but... I never thought that he was the cause of Dorn's Deep's fall..." Beorn said forlornly.

"I must admit, even I am surprised," Andy said to the deep gnome.

I walked over to Ordmar among the broken, splintered remains of Nym's service desk and knelt down beside him as he continued sobbing.

"Ordmar... I know how you feel. Really, I do, but we can't sit here and vent our frustrations on Nym. He's gone, and there is nothing we can do about it. The only thing in our reach is Revered Brother Poquelin. We have to stop him before all of Kuldahar freezes to death,"

Upon hearing my voice, Ordmar looked up at me, and I saw his brown eyes moist with tears. "Ye claim to understand how I feel... But do you understand the pain of knowing all yer kin is dead because of one drow? Do ye?"

I chose not to answer that. My parents and grandparents are still alive, so I really don't understand the pain he feels.

"I thought not," Ordmar said as he stood up on his feet.

"Oh, one more thing I forgot to tell you," Beorn reluctantly said because he didn't not want to disturb me consoling Ordmar, but he needed to. "After you rescue Guello in the mines, I suggest you go to the refinery and stop Maiden Ilmadia and her fire giants from dismantling what's left of the great forge. Tarnelm and some of my friends used to work there before Ilmadia and her fire giants showed up and began tearing it down."

"Who is Maiden Ilmadia?" I asked.

"She is a crazy wench who serves our mysterious malevolent overlord," Beorn replied.

"Revered Brother Poquelin," I clarified.

"I never knew his name and title, but yes. I don't know much about her, save that she is an elf maiden and she's in charge of dismantling the great forge. Apparently this Poquelin character wants to build a huge metal ship from the forge's plates," Beorn said.

"Then we have no time to waste. Let's move," Gorris said.

"Agreed," I nodded, then we left the village.

* * *

After reaching the top floor on the oubliette elevator, we headed southeast towards the mines, shooting crossbow bolts or arrows into the heads of any salamander that dared to get in our way. We had plenty of bolts and arrows to spare, so none of us were worried. When we reached the mines, I saw up ahead across a river of hot magma, I saw deep gnomes all over the place, swinging their pickaxes at the walls or large slabs of stones under the supervision of their salamander slavers. I couldn't understand it. How can these gnomes work under such extreme conditions? They either have a lot of endurance, or they quaff potions that protect them from the heat. As soon as I thought that, I saw a deep gnome pushing a mine cart heavy with ores across the mine cart tracks collapse, tired and weary. One of the salamanders nearby came over to him and started lashing at him with a whip, commanding him to get up and continue pushing the cart. The tired svirfneblin tried to stand back up on his feet, but he couldn't, not with the relentless stinging pain of the whip being used on his back and the intense heat emanating from the salamander's body and the nearby river of magma. We had no choice but to make our way towards the the bridge that extends over the magma river instead of standing in one place until a salamander sees us.

Following the mine cart tracks towards the bridge, we crossed the bridge and made our way past a few svirfneblin who are too busy swinging their pickaxes at the wall to notice us until we heard a voice nearby tell us:

"Watch out, the salamanders are about. If they see you, they'll kill you."

We looked around in alarm until we noticed a deep gnome who is looking straight at us rather than swinging his pickaxe at the wall near the "Y" shaped intersecting tracks.

"We are well equipped adventurers who can handle a few salamanders if we are spotted, thanks. Who are you?" I asked.

"I am Guello, a priest. I was captured by Malavon's umber hulks and brought here to work in the mines. I need to return to my people or many will die... many."

"I'm so glad we found you. Beorn sent us to rescue you. How can we get you out of here?" Andy asked.

"Shikata, the salamander king, and his cruel kin, they watch over us constantly. Defeat them and we can escape," Guello replied.

"Sounds like we have to start a ruckus to lure out the salamander king," Xalorn said, grinning.

"Then let's get started," Lysara said, already aiming her shortbow at a salamander slithering along elevated ground ahead of us. She released her arrow and the arrow struck the salamander and it slumped down with a brief pained shriek that caught the attention of several other salamanders. And so we began to stir up the hornet's nest in the mines, shooting down every salamander we encountered, and their screams served to bring in more and more salamanders, and seeing so many salamanders come out in force in the mines made the deep gnome miners nervous. But none of the salamanders were armed with ranged weapons, so they were easy pickings for me, Lysara, Andy and Felicia since we are the only ones in our group with ranged weapons.

Eventually Shikata showed up with seven of his bodyguards. He is the only salamander wearing a copper headdress and necklace from the looks of it, and he looked around, seeing over 30 of his kin slain and strewn around the ground all over the place, and it apparently enraged him.

"You! Interlopers!" He pointed an accusing finger at us. "How dare you trespass in the domain of Marketh and slay my brethren! I am Shikata, most powerful king of the salamanders. You will suffer greatly for your transgressions."

"You think we're scared just because you're some sort of tribal leader? get out of our way before I have to throw you and your brothers all over this cave," I said, aiming my crossbow at them with my companions by my sides.

At the distance we are standing, which is 36 feet away, I could barely tell, but I thought I saw Shikata smirking at my remark.

"I will enjoy hearing the bravado burn out of your blackening lungs, small one. YAH!" Shikata immediately charged at us ahead of his bodyguards.

I don't know if he was stupid to make that move, or blinded by rage at seeing all of his kin slain here, but it doesn't matter, he left himself completely open to be shot. I pulled the trigger on my crossbow and I saw the bolt fly directly into Shikata's chest, and he collapsed down and rolled to a complete stop near my feet. Shocked and disheartened by the fall of their king, Shikata's bodyguards ran away, disappearing into the tunnel entrance flanked by two dwarven statues where they came from. Then we heard cheers from every deep gnome in the mines and they threw down their axes and ran out, possibly going to the oubliette elevator to get to Beorn's village. Guello followed them, not even bothering to thank us for our heroics, not that we needed to be thanked.

* * *

We took the eastern tunnels out of the mines until we reached the refinery cavern, which is a vastly large southeastern section of the Lower Dorn's Deep cavern complex. The ground is elevated by six levels, with us being on the 6th level, and down below, about 30 feet away from the shore of a lake of magma is a small house, which is probably where we will find this Ilmadia. In the center of the large lake of magma is an island where the Great Forge is, or used to be. There aren't many metal plates left over there, and at the lake's shore is a very large golden boat, enough to hold ten fire giants on board, which confirms Beorn's belief that Poquelin wants a boat made out of the metal plates from the Great Forge. All around us are many vats in many shapes and sizes.

Some vats hold large stones, some hold pure water, and others hold hot magma. There are many fire giants and salamanders here, but they are unaware of the events that took place in the mines, they are too busy trying to destroy the refinery portals, which the dwarves and deep gnomes used to purify the ore that they mine, and in the process of trying to destroy the portals, they allow fire, earth and water elementals to come out, and they are forced to fight them. This gives us a good opportunity to sneak by them unnoticed since they are busy fighting the elementals they let out. Any fire giant who spotted us walk by them didn't pause from their duties to ask us what our business is here, they just simply assumed that we are one of Poquelin's hired mercenaries sent to relay some information to Maiden Ilmadia.

Eventually we made our way down to the lowest ground level of the refinery, and I was glad to see that Ilmadia's house is unguarded, that would be problematic. I also noticed that around Ilmadia's small house are two banners, with Poquelin's false holy symbol of Ilmater on top, and below it, a black unicorn's head, which is most likely what Ilmadia has on her badge.

"What's the plan, Jovan?" Lysara asked me.

"I'll go in alone. If we all enter, she'll get suspicious. I'll pretend to be a mercenary sent to relay information," I said.

"Good plan," Ordmar nodded approvingly.

I sighed. "Okay, here I go," I said before moving forward towards the front door.

I stopped 2 feet in front of the door, took a deep breath, knocked on the door three times and waited, absentmindedly listening to the distant shouts and sounds of fire giants attacking and being attacked by angry fire, earth and water elementals.

I heard the locking bolts of the other side of the door slide off, and then I saw the door cautiously slide open, and a head peered out. Ilmadia's head. Her face is sharp and angular, absolutely no blemishes, her golden brown hair extending down to her jaw, and her emerald colored eyes scowling at me in mild irritation, which was enough to make me recoil in shock a little. When alluring eyes like that glare at you, it's a little scary, don't judge me a coward.

"Who the hell are you?" Ilmadia asked me, speaking in Common instead of Elvish, for which I am thankful for.

I cleared my throat, trying to get in character as a tough, hardened mercenary. "I'm Jovan. Who the hell are *you*?" I shot back.

"I am Maiden Ilmadia. I've been given control of this region. That means that when you are in here, you will show me respect. I don't care if you are Marketh's best friend. If you step out of line, I'll have my two heaviest fire giants squash you into red paste."

"Of course. I apologize for my rash words, Maiden Ilmadia. May I come in?" I apologized.

Ilmadia's scowl softened now. "That's much better. Permission granted," she said, pulling her head away from the partially open door and allowing me to step inside. As I stepped inside, I took stock of the small room. Ilmadia's bed is in the top left corner of the room. her wardrobe and dresser next to her bed, and on the other side of the room is a couch with green colored cushions. Not a luxurious home, but it is adequate. As for Maiden Ilmadia herself, I noticed that unlike everyone else, she is not dressed in body armor or even a tunic, but in beige green maternity clothing, and her belly is visibly swollen under the fabric of her shirt, as if she is heavy with a child, but not in the final month of her pregnancy, though.

"What are you waiting for, an invitation? Sit down," Ilmadia said.

I nodded and chose to sit down on the couch. Ilmadia decided to sit in one of the wooden chairs, placing it a few feet in front of me, then she sat down on it.

"I've heard a little about you from my superior, Marketh, but he didn't tell me that you are pregnant," I remarked.

"Yes, I am indeed heavy with a child. Two children, actually. It has been four months since the first day of my pregnancy. When my children are born, their father and I will raise them in a world where the realms will bend to our will alone. They will grow up never knowing the persecution and racial discrimination that other mixed races so often face," Ilmadia said proudly, gently stroking her swollen womb.

"You said "mixed races"? That must mean their father is either a human or some other race. Who is their father, by the way?" I asked, feeling curious.

Ilmadia scowled at me again. "That is none of your damn business," she said curtly. "Why did Marketh send you down here, anyway? Surely it is not to learn about my personal life, is it?"

"No, it isn't. He sent me and my fellow mercenaries which are outside waiting for me down here to see if you are in need of any aid in dismantling the refinery portals," I replied.

Ilmadia raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you're so eager to do work for me, why don't you kill all of the salamanders and elementals?"

"The salamanders too? I thought the salamanders were your allies," I said.

"_Some _of the salamanders are our allies," Ilmadia said while steadily standing back up on her feet. "Shikata isn't powerful enough to bully them all into obedience, so a faction of salamanders broke off," Ilmadia went on as she walked towards her wardrobe and opened it, searching for something inside it. "They realized that the dismantling of the forge would cause the portals to the Elemental Plane of Fire to be destroyed. If that occurred, the salamanders would have to compete for heat," she continued while rummaging in her wardrobe, searching for something.

And I had a feeling that it probably isn't something good. Coming into her house alone was a bad idea after all.

"Interesting. I'm going to go get started in salamander hunting, Ilmadia. Farewell," I said, standing up from the couch and heading for the door, and right when I placed my right hand on the doorknob, I felt the cold steel of a sword blade touch my throat.

I turned my head to the right and saw Ilmadia pointing her sword at my neck.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm going to let that happen. You seem like trouble to me," Ilmadia said.

I slowly withdrew my hands, held them up at chest level and slowly backed away from the door.

"Okay, you got me. I'm not a mercenary under Marketh's employ, and neither are my companions outside," I admitted.

"I realized that as soon as you said that you thought all of the salamanders were my allies. Everyone who works for Revered Brother Poquelin knows that not all of Shikata's kin have sworn allegiance to Marketh."

Ilmadia backed me against a wall, still pointing her sword at my neck.

"Now that you know I am an enemy, what are you going to do, kill me?" I asked.

Ilmadia smirked. "Yes. That is the obvious and necessary choice, after all."

Reacting purely on reflex and instinct, I placed both hands on Ilmadia's sword blade and moved it away from my neck just seconds before she could plunge the blade into my neck, and instead, she drove the blade into the wooden wall. Before she could react to my sudden move, I moved quickly and jabbed my elbow to the left side of Ilmadia's head hard enough to knock her out. When I was sure she is unconscious, I placed her on her bed and searched her house for her badge. I could have killed her while she remained unconscious, but I didn't do it, because I don't like the idea of killing a pregnant woman. The idea of killing two soon to be born children along with their mother makes me cringe. I found her badge in her wardrobe, the head of a black unicorn, and left her house quickly. I regrouped with my companions and left. Now we have one more badge to steal before we are ready to face Revered Brother Poquelin himself.

* * *

From the mines we found a passageway leading straight into the courtyard of Marketh's palace. I recalled during our first visit there are three ways out of the courtyard, one that is north, and two that are east and west. We emerged from the eastern passage into the courtyard. The shrieker mushrooms are still active, so Liysara, Felicia and I had to shoot at them from a distance to walk past them without raising an alarm. We made our way to the northern passage out of the curtyard, heading deep into the cavern that the palace is built into.

We found ourselves in a gloomy chamber where there are four priests of Ilmater, two women, two men, each one shielded inside a sphere of bright blue light. Behind all four of them is a golden idol of some kind that resembles a giant serpent's head. The priest in the middle of the three shielded priests sitting on the throne in the center of the room, seemed to be the head priest. He noticed us, but he and his fellow priests of Ilmater have a vacant look in their eyes.

"Welcome to our humble church, disciples of suffering. I am Brother Perdiem, servant of Ilmater. What brings you here today? Do you seek ecstasy at the hands of Ilmater's servants?" Perdiem asked in a near monotone voice, as if most of his emotion had been drained away or something.

"This temple doesn't seem like the place where kind, gentle gods are worshiped," Gorris claimed.

Perdiem stood up from his throne, and his magical shield followed suit to match the height of his body.

"Our god is kind and forgiving. We are not. As servants of Ilmater, it is our duty to strip all resistance to suffering from the bodies of believers and unbelievers alike. Once your resistance has been stripped away, you will weep in the arms of Ilmater," he replied.

"That might be your task, but you're not going to be inflicting _ANY _suffering on us," Felicia said.

"I can leave no soul untouched, no nerve dulled. If you attempt to travel on this holy ground, you will face the servants of Ilmater." At that moment, Perdiem and his fellow priests summoned zombies and other kinds of undead around them!

And there are a lot of them! Likely too many to fight by ourselves, but we can't turn back!

"Are you serious? Ilmater's faithful servants are undead? If you truly are a priest of Ilmater, don't you see the contradiction there?" Andy exclaimed to Perdiem.

"My poor brothers were found spiritually lacking. Now they serve Ilmater from beyond the grave. You have been warned, heathens," Perdiem said.

At that moment, he commanded the zombies to attack us, and all the zombies started lumbering towards us, their tattered clothes hanging loosely on their decaying bodies.

"What do we do?" Lysara asked us.

"We fight, that's what!" Xalorn declared.

"Stand and fight! YAH!" Gorris exclaimed and he charged with Xalorn at the zombie horde, smashing and slashing their way through, and Ordmar followed.

And so we attacked the zombie hoard head on with no plan in mind, just to attack until we see a way to subdue, or if necessary, kill the priests of Ilmater. We fought the zombie hoard for six minutes, and at that moment we realized the hoard is either endless or the priests work together to "revive" the zombies we brought down. And to make matters worse, one of the priests summoned the animated body armor of Durdel Anatha to join the fight!

"We can't keep this up forever! Now what?!" Ordmar exclaimed after bashing the skull of a zombie with his shield.

"I'm almost out of magic spells to use, and I need to save my best ones for Poquelin!" Andy exclaimed, then whacked two zombies with his staff.

It is all becoming clear now. The goal of Perdiem is to use his endless horde of zombies to tire us out and then lower the boom, and that time is almost coming. We need to change our game plan, and fast. After killing three more zombies, I noticed the golden idol again. I looked at the idol and noticed its glowing red eyes.

"Of course. Of course! The golden idol! That's what we should be focusing on!" I exclaimed.

"What? The idol? All right!" Ordmar exclaimed, and he became the first to attack it. Jumping towards it, he swung his hammer down at it and damaged it, breaking a few pieces off of the head.

Xalorn bashed it with his Morningstar, and then Felicia delivered the final blow with her +3 mace. With the golden idol completely destroyed, all the zombies collapsed dead and the spheres of bright blue light protecting the priests suddenly disappeared. Perdiem and his fellow priests fell to their knees, breathing heavily as if they had awoken from a great nightmare.

"What... What happened...?" the other man muttered.

"I... I... Where am I...? What have I done...?" The woman with long red hair muttered as she staggered up to her feet.

We ran over to Perdiem and Gorris and I helped him stand up.

"My... my god. You have delivered us from such a terrible nightmare... I dreamt that I was swimming in pitch under a blood red moon. So much suffering have I caused. So much suffering must I endure to repay the debt of sin I have incurred. I am sorry that I sought to cause you harm," he apologized to us.

"How did all of this happen?" I asked.

"I am Perdiem, once a faithful priest of Ilmater. I used to watch over a monastery of faithful priests and priestesses outside of Illefarn. One day a man came to the monastery. He said his name was Poquelin, and that he had come to help us find the true faith of Ilmater. There was something about his eyes, his voice that hypnotized us. His voice was so commanding, so powerful, that we were swept up in his sermons with a disturbing passion... it frightened us, but we could not help but fall deeper into his web of deception. We abandoned dozens of sick and dying worshipers in the halls of our monastery. We went north to Icewind Dale, and through the Kuldahar Pass. Many died, but at that point, we no longer cared. All was done for the glory of Ilmater, for the propagation of the faith. Even as Poquelin became more fascist, more militant, we could do nothing to resist. Poquelin's idol had us enthralled. Those who resisted were drained of life and turned into the zombies who guarded this black temple. It used to be a temple to Berronar Truesilver, though you'd never recognize it now."

My companions and I glanced at Ordmar briefly, knowing he worships Berronar.

"I have not only committed blasphemy against my god, but against a proud mother goddess of the dwarves. I owe a great debt to many gods and people. Thank you for liberating my soul," Perdiem said.

"We should thank you as well," the other priestess with black hair said as she and the other two priests approached us.

"It's true, all of ye caused much death in your madness. As a faithful dwarven defender to Berronar Truesilver, I'll tell ye that the path to recovery is a long one, but it ain't a wound that can't be healed," Ordmar said.

"Here is my badge. Use it to enter Poquelin's chambers," Perdiem said, handing me his badge, which has a white dove on it.

Now I have them all.

"Before we face Poquelin, what can you tell us about him?" I asked.

"He is no priest of Ilmater. e is a sorcerer of some sort. There is something cold and unnatural about his eyes. His skin, his hair... everything about him rings false. The way he walks, the way he holds himself... it is as though he is a stranger in his own body. His chambers is above the spiraling staircase behind me. If you have all the badges already, be careful when you face him," Perdiem said before he and his priests cast healing spells on us.

"Thank you. Wish us luck," I said.

We headed over to the spiraling stairs and saw the depressions on the floor where the badges should be placed. After placing all the badges in the holes where they should be placed, we heard the door above slide open, and we proceeded to ascend upstairs and enter the door.

We found ourselves in dark room lit by more than a dozen bright blue candles, giving the room an unsettling air of unease.

"I feel so cold here..." Lysara whispered.

We cautiously moved further into the room, and then we heard footsteps coming towards us. In the middle of the room where the most candles were placed, we saw Revered Brother Poquelin himself step out of the shadows into the light of the candles, revealing himself.

He wore white robes stained in blood close to his feet and sandals, as if he had recently been walking in a small pool of blood, his skin is unnaturally pale, and his blue eyes have a false sense of benevolence behind them which is clear for all of us to see.

"Greetings, children of Ilmater. How are you today?" Poquelin asked us in an unsettling tone.

I pulled my sword out of my scabbard and pointed it straight at him.

"Drop the act, Poquelin. We know your true nature, and we are sick and tired of your charades."

At that moment, Poquelin's friendly demeanor changed. "I'm sorry, but war and charades are the only two games I know how to play," he said in a mock apologetic tone. "If they are not to your liking, I'm afraid you'll be ill-equipped to play the game that's about to begin."

"Quit speaking in riddles villain and give us answers, or we'll cut it out of yer mouth," Ordmar sneered.

Then Poquelin started chuckling, as if he found Ordmar's remark funny.

"What's so funny, bloody legs?" Xalorn growled.

"After centuries of Yxunomei's laboriously worded speeches and delusions of grandeur, it is a welcome change to hear such... succinct threats from an enemy. Thank you for disposing of her, by the way. her speeches were quite tiresome... and she suffered her defeats so poorly."

"What are you up to, Poquelin? Why the Spine of the World?" Gorris asked.

"The only thing really standing in the way of my conquering this territory was Yxunomei. When you killed her, you removed the largest obstacle in my campaign. As you probably already know, my arrival in this world was a result of conflict with my ancient adversary. I was exiled from my home plane when my vendetta with Yxunomei got... as my "superiors" said... "out of control". As soon as I arrived in this world, I knew that Yxunomei would follow. After all, what's a few thousand years and a billion miles between old friends? I sought out a base of operations from which I could start a military force. In the process of doing so, I heard something calling to me from a distant glacier."

Poquelin paused there to reveal something. He reached into his robes with his right hand and slowly pulled out a beautiful crystal shard, holding it out in front of his face in front so we can clearly see it.

"It was this... Crenshinibon. It's an artifact so old that it makes me seem young, a crystal shard with magical powers of such magnitude that Kuldahar's Heartstone Gem looks like a child's toy," Poquelin explained.

Yes... that crystal shard in Poquelin's possession is the very same artifact that a disgraced mage from Luskan found and used to gain enough power to threaten Icewind Dale a few years ago in the Year of the Worm (1356 DR), which was seven decades after Poquelin's defeat by my hands, but the mage was fortunately defeated by the famous dark elf ranger hero Drizzt Do'Urden and his companions Catti-brie, Bruenor, Wulfgar and Regis. If I had known back then how much trouble Crenshinibon would be for Icewind Dale in the following years after the Year of the Cold Soul, my companions and I would have sought the gem out and destroyed it. But unfortunately, you cannot predict the future no matter how hard you try. Still, I wish Felicia and I had remained in Icewind Dale to help Drizzt and his companions fight that rogue mage and his lackeys, since we've seen firsthand how powerful that crystal shard is, but what's done is done.

"Just having it in my possession caused the monstrous creatures of this land to leave their ancient homes and seek me out. Its other powers are too numerous to mention. Despite the fact that the shard has a somewhat... overbearing... personality, our plans seem to coincide. As for my lieutenants, they were easy enough to find. All of them were eager to join my cause, except for poor, naïve Brother Perdiem." Poquelin began to grin as he continued speaking now. "The guise of an Ilmatari Revered Brother was perfect for traveling and gathering information in Icewind Dale. The form was easy enough to assume. The information inside of Perdiem's head allowed me to... flesh out the role. Everything was going well until that annoying Arundel and your good friend, the late Hrothgar, decided to investigate Yxunomei's poorly veiled activities in Dragon's Eye. If that idiot had been a little more clandestine in her business, no one would have suspected. To stall Yxunomei and seal off Icewind Dale, I used Crenshinibon to freeze the passes... but not quickly enough to prevent Hrothgar's band from starting their expedition. I had Kreg Frostbeard and his giants cause the avalanche that crushed Hrothgar, Accalia, and those other fools. After that, I didn't really care what you were doing... until you seized the Heartstone Gem from Yxunomei. I thought that Arundel would be the only person capable of using it. When I killed him, I thought the threat was ended. I certainly didn't expect you to take the gem to Larrel in the Severed Hand. Very clever. Unfortunately, your actions since that event have been... inconsequential."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"During your extended bloody trek through Upper Dorn's, Wyrm's Tooth, and Lower Dorn's, I was building up forces elsewhere... outside of Easthaven, to be specific."

Our eyes widened in shock.

"No! You fiend!" I snarled.

"So you see, the destruction of my forces here simply prevents me from having reserve troops during my conquest of the Dale. It's a good thing you can't see Easthaven now. It would probably break you to see how easy it is to crush houses and cause temples to explode. Everything you've done is pointless," Poquelin said as he attached Crenshinibon to a necklace around his neck.

"Don't count your chickens yet! Your story still has a chance to end, and it will end with you dead like Yxunomei!" I exclaimed.

"I am the beginning and the end of this story," Poquelin calmly retorted. "I, and _only _I, will determine how it plays out. Goodbye."

At that moment, a faint glow began to emanate from the crystal shard around Poquelin's neck. Suddenly the entire cave was engulfed in an explosion of blinding light, engulfing us in its wake.


	11. Chapter 11 The Heart Of A Warrior

I thought we would die. There's no shame in admitting it- I thought that the bright light emanating from Crenshinibon would end our lives once it engulfed us all, and Poquelin would emerge victorious. But that, fortunately, didn't happen, otherwise I wouldn't be here to tell you this story. Instead, the bright light faded away, and my companions and I found ourselves in a brand new unfamiliar environment.

"What... What that that...?" Andy groaned and shook his head.

"And why do I feel cold all of a sudden?" Lysara shivered.

I looked around. We are definitely not in Dorn's Deep anymore. There is snow everywhere, the clouds covering the noon sun are dark gray, I saw a large tower of crystal nearby, and many damaged and ruined houses along the shore of a large lake. Then it hit me. That lake is none other than Lac Dinneshere. I realized where we are.

"Uh... guys... Poquelin transported us back to Easthaven!" I said.

"What?! How?! This can't be Easthaven!" Ordmar exclaimed.

We looked around, and destruction is all around us. Houses are being trampled by cyclops giants, giants with only one large eye, causing many of Easthaven's citizens to run screaming in terror.

"Silvanus preserve us. We've been brought into a nightmare..." I whispered.

"Hey! This tower wasn't here before!" Andy exclaimed, pointing up at it.

We turned our undivided attention to the crystal tower. It is tall, very tall, and there seems to be no way to get inside it.

"And it is sitting where the temple of Tempus used to be!" Gorris exclaimed.

"That must be where Poquelin is hiding too!" I said.

Xalorn rushed at the base of the crystal tower and tried to smash it with his Morningstar, but the spiked blunt weapon only bounced off the crystal surface, not even making scratch.

"What the hell? This ain't normal crystal! I hit this thing with all I got!" Xalorn grunted, feeling his arms ache from the kickback.

"It must be the work of Crenshinibon. Damn it! With such a powerful artifact at his side, Poquelin is untouchable!" Felicia exclaimed.

I looked around for someone who could help us, and I noticed that over at the part of the shore where I met Elisia, that water dwelling woman who kept singing to Jhonen in his dreams, I saw Jhonen himself wearing a thick brown cloak looking out over at Lac Dinneshere, away from the carnage that the cyclops giants are causing, as if making a wish for the nightmare to end soon.

"Felicia, Gorris, is that Jhonen over there?" I asked them as I pointed out who I thought is Jhonen near the shore.

Felicia and Gorris looked over that direction and smiled.

"I don't believe it, that scrawny fox is alive!" Gorris smiled.

"Let's go see him!" Felicia said excitedly.

We walked past the ruins of Apsel's home and made our way towards the Jhonen standing near the shore.

"Hey, Jhonen, we're back," I said."

I startled him by accident because he gasped, then he turned around. When he saw us, especially Felicia, Gorris, Andy and me, his alarmed expression turned into a relieved smile.

"You! Oh, thank the gods you've returned!"

"It feels like it has been ages since we last seen you before the expedition," Gorris said.

"It has, hasn't it?" Then Jhonen's smile faded into a worried frown. "I don't know what's happened, but the giants came out of nowhere- and the ice- it just- rose from the earth- and the villagers- the giants herded them up, and- and-"

"Calm down, Jhonen. Where were the villagers taken?" I asked him.

"They took them to a makeshift camp. They tore timbers out of the buildings and used them as a stockade in the southeast corner of town, on the island. I don't know if they're okay-"

"I'll see what I can do. But I think we may have to deal with that tower first. I've got a bad feeling about it," I said.

"But you have to free the villagers first! Everard's among them, and he may know a way into the tower- I saw the giants drag him into the tower, then return him to the camp- I don't even know if he was breathing..." Jhonen insisted.

"We'll seek him out, then. You should seek safety now, there's nothing more you can do here," I said.

"There is one thing I can do- that blade you brought me, so long ago? It's... healed," Jhonen said, revealing the sword which was hidden in his clock. I was shocked. The last time I saw that sword, it was broken when Elisia gave it to me. Now it look like a blacksmith repaired it, only no one repaired it by hand.

"What? How...? How did this happen?" I asked.

"I simply fell asleep with it on the table beside me one night, and in the dream, it melted together again. When I awoke, it was restored. I want you to use it. Use it to defend Easthaven from these monsters," Jhonen said, handing the sword in its scabbard to me. I grabbed the scabbard and attached it to the right side of my belt since my other sword is on my left side.

"I will, Jhonen," I promised.

Jhonen smiled approvingly. "Thank you, Jovan. Thank you, all of you. And please be careful. That tower... there's something evil within it, I can feel the hate from here, it's like waves streaming off the tower."

"We're always careful, Jhonen. We are still alive, aren't we?" Andy winked at him.

Jhonen nodded with a smile. "That you are, but still, please be careful," he insisted.

* * *

As soon as we passed by the ruins of Hrothgar's old house and several other homes, we encountered our first cyclops giant. I took aim at the giant's one giant eye and fired. As soon as its only eye was damaged by my bolt, it wailed in pain and began rubbing its eyes, attracting a few more cyclops giants to us. We finished off the blind giant and moved on to the next ones. Once they were blinded, taking them down was easy, but we are running low on arrows and bolts, I am down to six bolts,, Lysara is down to three arrows, Felicia is down to eight arrows and Andy only has thirteen sling bullets left. We conserved our ammo for disabling the cyclops giants only, and then allow Ordmar, Gorris and Xalorn to come in hacking, slashing and bashing.

We made our way past several more damaged or destroyed houses until we saw the bridge leading to the small island near the shore, where the makeshift camp Jhonen mentioned is located, and it is guarded by two more cyclops giants. I forgot to mention that the cyclops giants had no weapons, no swords or bows and arrows, not even body armor, just loincloths made out of the fur pelts of many wolves. Even though there are much more of them on the outskirts of the town, the few rampaging in the town are not enough to take on a small group of well-armed adventurers. Either Poquelin underestimated us once again, or he believes that we have no chance of finding a way inside the crystal tower even if we survive fighting the cyclops giants. After the giants guarding the bridge to the small island had been killed, we crossed the bridge and entered the makeshift camp.

The camp is crowded with panicking citizens of Easthaven, men, women and children shouting, screaming and crying, afraid that their time is coming to an end soon since the cyclops giants corralled them like cattle in a pen. Searching for Everard among them proved to be quite difficult.

"Everard! Everard!" I kept shouting, but my calls were drowned out by the panicked cries of so many people gathered in one place.

Eventually it was Andy who found Everard, and he called e over.

"Jovan! Jovan, over here! I found him!" I heard Andy call me.

I walked over to him and found Everard standing next to him.

"You... you have returned to Easthaven. I pray you are not too late," Everard said to me looking tired and weary in his worn out garb.

"I heard from Jhonen that the giants dragged you into the tower. Are you all right?" I asked.

Everard nodded. "Yes... I was brought into the tower by the giants... they sought to... break me, force me to break the glyphs..."

I frowned in confusion. "Glyphs to wh...? Wait- the glyphs to _Jerrod's Stone?_" I asked, feeling an intense sensation of dread fall over me.

Everard cleared his throat before replying. "Yes... if they open it, then... we are all damned. Poquelin... his demon armies will number all the souls of hell. All of Faerun will be destroyed."

"Jovan... I don't like the sound of this..." Andy said, his face turning a little more white than normal.

"Everard- we need to get into that tower, and quickly," I said urgently.

"Let me... show you the sign. The ice gives way beneath a symbol... crossed hands, blood upon the wrists... with it, you should be able to open the tower."

"All right, thank you. Andy, go find the others, tell them to meet back at the crystal tower," I instructed.

"Got it," Andy nodded before going off to find Gorris, Felicia, Xalorn, Ordmar and Lysara.

"What about you? Will you come with us?" I asked Everard.

"I will... follow later, if I can. Give me your sword," Everard instructed.

I gave Everard my old sward, keeping the sword that once belong to Jhonen's ancestor Aihonen with me.

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

Everard cleared his throat again. "I will... help free these people... from the giants. I will... protect them... from the giants at the outskirts of the town until... I can find someplace safe where they can hide."

"You're going to do all of this alone?" I asked.

"Tempus... the god of battles... is on my side," Everard assured me.

"What if he gives you a sign that you should fight alongside my companions and I? These people are actually safe here for the time being, there's no reason to move them someplace else," I said.

Everard rolled his eyes. "Have you learned nothing... from our last conversation? Tempus only respects... a warrior who fights his enemies with a blade... not by making a vain sacrifice."

I scowled at him. "Oh, I think I've learned plenty. Fighting Poquelin alongside us does not require you to drop your blade, yet refuse to come with us into the tower. Why?" I asked.

"Because these people are afraid. They must feel safe and secure first... then I will join you."

"And what if it's too late?" I asked.

I got this feeling that Everard is trying to mask his fears, it became more and more apparent to me.

"Why are you... wasting your time convincing me to... come with you in a fight that we... have already won? Poquelin doesn't... realize that you've learned how to get inside the tower... He thinks we are running around with our tails between our legs."

"What if we need your help in there?" I retorted.

"You don't _need _my help," Everard snapped in a fit of near rage I've seen him come close to getting before the expedition. "You didn't need my help when you left for Kuldahar... and you don't need my help now."

I nodded slowly. "I've figured you out, now. You're afraid. What I want to know is: what are you afraid of?"

"_I am a Battle-Priest of Tempus that was once of the Order of the Broken Blade! I am a battle-hardened warrior that has transcended beyond fear!" _Everard shouted back at me.

"What happened to your fellow members of the Order of the Broken Blade? Did they die in battle hoping you would make a noble sacrifice for them, but instead you turned and ran, abandoning them in fear of making a "vain" sacrifice?"

Everard looked as if he is trying to suppress the urge to punch me in the face. That's when I knew I hit the right nerve.

"You're no warrior, you're a coward! A true warrior has the courage to make sacrifices, even if the outcome of whether his sacrifice will be made in vain or not, but you, Everard, you may have a warrior's strength, but _NOT _a warrior's heart! You once told me what sacrifices mean. You said that sacrifice is a death that has meaning. Jerrod's sacrifice may seem meaningless to you, but it spreads a message to all of us in a way you refuse to understand. His sacrifice tells us that no matter how dark a situation is, there is always a way out of it, but sometimes that way out of the darkness comes with a heavy price, and there must be someone with the courage willing to pay that price for the many who can't or are too afraid to make that sacrifice. I don't know what sacrifices we will have to make to stop Poquelin, but we must have the courage to stop him at whatever the cost may be, otherwise all of Faerun will be destroyed. So I'll ask again: What is it you are afraid of? Are you afraid of making a vain sacrifice, or are you afraid of sacrificing your life for a greater good?" I shouted at him, unintentionally silencing the people around us.

Even Everard fell silent. He couldn't even look at me straight into my eyes.

I sighed. "I have to go. I've no time to waste with a warrior with a cowardly heart," I said then left the camp, crossing the bridge, leaving Everard to contemplate what I just said.

* * *

I ran as quickly as I could back to the crystal tower where my companions were waiting for me.

"What took you so long?" Gorris asked me.

"I had to give Everard a little pep talk, that's all," I said, feeling out of breath from running.

"Okay," Andy began. The way to get in is to cross your arms like an "X" in front of the crystal walls like Poquelin's false holy symbol of Ilmater, and the ice will melt away allowing us to enter the tower," he said.

"All right. Here goes nothing," I said, stepping ahead, facing the wall of crystal, then crossing my arms.

Then almost immediately, a large oval shape of ice melted away, allowing us entrance into the temple of Tempus. We entered without hesitation. Then as soon as we entered, the crystal wall resealed itself.

We found ourselves in the main floor of the temple of Tempus, the only difference is there is debris all over the place, and walls of pure crystal surrounds us instead of walls of wood. The temple has become part of the crystal tower, it is now part temple of Tempus and part audience hall of the crystal tower.

"Gods... This place looks much different now that Crenshinibon's crystal tower has merged into it. ... And I definitely don't remember that spiraling staircase over there," I said, pointing over at the spiral stairs leading out of the temple and into the top floor of the crystal tower, near the entrance sealed by the glyphs the giants forced Everard to break.

At that moment we heard the door open behind us, and when we turned around, we saw Everard enter the temple, holding my old sword in hand.

"Everard! I'm glad I managed to talk some sense into you," I said.

Everard nodded. "You have found your way in, I see... I will attempt to open the passageway below to Jerrod's Stone, but these glyphs are born of Tempus himself. It may be beyond my power," he said doubtfully.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Felicia asked.

"If you would help, climb this tower. See if there is another way to Jerrod's Stone," Everard suggested.

"Very well. If we can find anything, we'll return," I promised.

We approached the spiral staircase and ascended up through the hole in the temple's roof and entered the first room that is entirely part of the crystal tower. We found ourselves in what seems to be a harem bedroom that can hold up to nine people. On the opposite corners of the nine beds are six mirrors made of opaque crystal that soften the glow of the burning torches they conceal, which gives this room light. We noticed a passageway out of the bedroom in the northeastern corner of the room, so we headed that way, and I thought I saw Andy rush over to one of the beds and pick up a rod made out of crystal. Neither me nor anyone else asked him why he wanted it, we were more focused on getting to Poquelin before he unlocks the portal to the Nine Hells sealed by Jerrod's Stone.

We entered the passageway and found a stairway leading up to the next room of the crystal tower. We found ourselves in what appears to be a throne room, with a throne placed in the center of the room, and in the corners of the room are more than a dozen scrying mirrors made of opaque crystal in rectangular and oval shapes, and sitting in the throne is not Poquelin, but...

"Pomab...?!" Gorris gasped in surprise.

Pomab chuckled. "So, we meet again. Welcome to Cryshal-Tirith."

I recognized that name. "Cryshal-Tirith" is an Elven word which means "Crystal Tower" when translated into the common human language.

"I trust your visitation is not a social call," Pomab added before drinking a champagne cup of expensive wine imported from Cormyr.

"Pomab? What in the Nine Hells are you doing here?" I asked him.

"Interesting choice of words. Much has changed since you last visited Easthaven. Now, as you can see, _I _run this town," he said proudly, crossing his legs comfortably.

"Do you really expect us to believe you're in charge here? You couldn't run a decent shop, let alone an entire town," Xalorn rebuffed him.

Pomab glared sharply at Xalorn. It seems that Pomab is still as irritable as I remember.

"You insolent half-orc dog! How dare you speak to me in such a manner! I am Pomab Ak'azmhir, master of this tower and appointed ruler of Easthaven!"

"Appointed by whom? Poquelin?" Ordmar asked.

Pomab raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Poquelin? You still have no idea of what you are up against, do you? The master has many names... and many forms. His power is beyond imagination. You cannot hope to defeat him. Why not just surrender yourselves to me? At least I would be merciful and grant you a quick death."

"Listen to yourself. You're no monarch. Poquelin is using you. Do you really think he'd put a fool like you in charge?" I asked.

Pomab shrugged indifferently, placing his empty champagne cup on the right arm of his throne.

"It is the master's will that I should rule over this town. It was he who gave me this tower, this magnificent palace, as a reward for my service to him."

"And what service could a lowly shopkeeper offer a fiend such as Poquelin?" Lysara asked tauntingly, trying to rattle him.

"The occupation of Easthaven was inevitable. The master had intended to take the town from the very beginning. I was simply charged with removing certain obstacles so that his plan would go more smoothly," Pomab said.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Gorris asked.

"It was I who first proposed to send an expedition to Kuldahar. I knew that braggart Hrothgar would jump at the chance to go dashing to the rescue, and that he would no doubt drag along any other sword-waving idiot in town."

I couldn't believe it. None of us did.

"The expedition was a diversion?" Felicia asked in a loud whisper.

"I cannot tell you how pleased I was to see my little ploy succeed. I nearly laughed myself to tears as your expedition charged off into the mountains, leaving Easthaven defenseless and ripe for the taking," Pomab grinned like a child in a candy shop.

"I see... you knew about the ambush in the pass. You knowingly sent us off to our deaths!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, though it appears that some of you managed to survive. In fact, you managed to go on to become quite a thorn in the master's side. Well, I am sorry to inform you that your little crusade ends here. I cannot have you interrupting the master while he is on the verge of completing his grand design."

"And what exactly is his grand design?" Andy asked.

"Ha! Do you really think I would tell you everything? What kind of imbecile do you take me for?" Pomab asked indignantly.

"The dead kind," Xalorn said smugly, wielding his morningstar mace and shield.

I could tell that Xalorn is happy about getting the opportunity to kick Pomab's ass. Personally, I never liked the guy when I first met him, either. Pomab stood up out of his throne.

"We shall see who does the dying this day!" He exclaimed.

Then before we could react, we suddenly saw dozens of Pomabs flash before our eyes!

"Agh!" I cried out, rubbing my eyes, and my companions did the same. When we looked at the throne, we noticed that Pomab is gone! Suddenly we saw him brazenly step out from behind the throne.

"Are you looking for me? Well, here I am," he said, spreading his arms wide, inviting an attack.

Then before we could attack him, we saw another Pomab step out from behind the throne in the opposite direction from the other Pomab!

"Don't listen to him, he's not the real Pomab, I am the real Pomab," the other one said.

"What the hell...?!" I frowned. Then more Pomabs emerged from standing behind the throne, there are now over nine Pomabs now!

"We are here," one said.

"We are there," another said.

"_We are everywhere_," all the Pomabs around us taunted us in unison.

"Gaah, dammit! Free for all!" Xalorn exclaimed and then attacked the nearest Pomab.

"Right behind ya, buddy!" Gorris exclaimed.

All the Pomabs split up when we engaged them. Before Xalorn could strike one Pomab, the Pomab stretched his right arm out at Xalorn and bolts of lightning shot out of his fingers and electrocuted Xalorn!

The half-orc sank to his knees, dropping his shield and Morningstar mace and yelling in pain while the fake Pomab he tried to attack cackled gleefully.

"Xalorn! No!" Gorris exclaimed.

"Think fast!" One of the fake Pomabs near him exclaimed, and thanks to his quick reflexes, Gorris managed to parry a devastating strike from another fake Pomab's quarterstaff.

Things got hectic real fast in the mirror/throne room, too much going on for me to remember and explain to you. Pomab and his clones had us all divided, and he was conquering us slowly. All I recall is frantically dodging weak blasts of electricity from the fake Pomabs, attacking them with Aihonen's sword, and being careful not to collide with my allies. Every time I attacked a Pomab, I hoped that I would bring down the real Pomab, but each fake Pomab I killed disappeared instead of remaining on the ground and becoming a corpse, and the mirrors seemed to produce more clones for the real Pomab to confuse and confound us!

"You cannot hope to stop us! Give up and die!" Pomab taunted us.

"When pigs fly, we will!" Felicia growled, then lunged forward to attack a Pomab in front of her. But the Pomab jumped aside, and instead, the blunt end of Felicia's mace crashed into one of the opaque mirrors, breaking it.

Then she spun around quickly with her mace and struck the fake Pomab across his jaw, sending him spin around on his right leg like a ballet dancer before collapsing to the ground and disappearing into thin air.

Andy, who has been staying away from combat all this time prepared to cast a spell. He made sure he had all the ingredients he needed to cast a spell. He had a small piece of winter wolf fur, a piece of amber, a piece of glass from the mirror Felicia accidentally broke, two silver pins, and that crystal rod he stole from the previous room. I don't know where, when or how he got the piece of wolf fur, amber and two silver pins, but he had them. Then he prepared to cast a spell, chanting the words and moving his arms. The spell he is about to cast is called Chain Lightning, and he needed the crystal rod as the final ingredient necessary to cast it.

Then suddenly, a blast of lightning launched from the crystal rod in Andy's right hand, and the blast jumped from one fake Pomab to another and another and another and another until the real Pomab got struck.

"AAAAAGHH!" The real Pomab screamed in pain when the blast of electricity struck him.

After he got electrocuted, all the fake Pomabs disappeared, leaving the real Pomab exposed and vulnerable. Then we cornered him.

"No! This cannot be! Stand back!" He cried fearfully.

"I've been waiting a long time for this..." Xalorn grinned.

"Want to do the honors, buddy?" Gorris asked him.

"You know it," Xalorn flashed a wicked grin.

"Wait! Stop! NO!" Pomab wailed just seconds before Xalorn swung his Morningstar mace down towards Pomab's head and shattered it like a watermelon.

Pomab's headless body collapsed down on his knees and fell flat on the bright blue marble floor, blood spurting out from his headless neck.

"Serves that arrogant bastard right," Ordmar said proudly.

"It's a shame he wasn't more... "headstrong"," Xalorn joked and laughed at his own joke.

Andy shook his head. "He will never be the "head" of Easthaven now," he joked as well.

"Okay, enough with the corny jokes. We need to find an alternate route to Poquelin," I said.

"Hey, look, a ladder!" Lysara pointed out.

"Good find! Let's go!" Gorris said.

He climbed the ladder first, I followed second, Felicia followed after me, Ordmar went up next, then Andy, then Xalorn and Lysara.


	12. Chapter 12 Jovan vs Belhifet

We finally made it to the top room of Cryshal-Tirith, and we couldn't find any more ways up, which means we must have finally reached the highest room in the tower. That means the tower only four rooms. The audience hall on the ground level, the harem bedrooms above it, the throne room with all those mirrors, and last, this room with a big image of the crystal shard in the center, and one lone mirror sitting near it.

"I guess we've reached the end of the line, fellas. There is no way to Jerrod's Stone from here," I said in defeat.

"Wait!" Andy blurted out, then he approached the lone mirror.

When we examined it with him, we saw small streaks of red lines running across the glass like lightning striking back and forth across the glass.

"Careful, Andy. I don't think we should be touching that..." Lysara said cautiously.

"Relax, I don't think it can harm us. There is no way Poquelin made it to Jerrod's Stone by bypassing Tempus's glyphs, so he must have made an alternate route..." Andy said as he peered closer at the mirror. Then he smiled.

"Aha! Bingo!" He exclaimed and snapped his fingers triumphantly.

"What?" Gorris asked curiously.

"This is no ordinary mirror, guys! It's a teleportation mirror! Poquelin used this to get down to the room where Jerrod's Stone is in the temple!" Andy exclaimed.

"Then we have no time to lose! Let's touch it!" I exclaimed.

We pressed our hands on the glass, closed our eyes, and we said in our thoughts, hoping the mirror could hear us: _Take us down to Jerrod's Stone._

We felt a brief but strong rush of air, and when we opened our eyes, we noticed that we are no longer in the top room of Cryshal-Tirith, but in a completely new room.

We are in a wide open room with dozens of old temple antiques and barrels collecting dust in the corners of the room, and behind us are the stairs leading up to the door protected by the glyphs Everard is trying to get through. Ahead of us is Poquelin himself, standing in front of Jerrod's Stone. The stone is a large circular slab of stone, and inside the stone slab is the body of Jerrod himself, his body can clearly be seen in the stone, legs spread wide, arms spread out, and his face frozen in a triumphant yell of glory before the stone encased him. The stone is surrounded by a structure meant to hold the stone in place.

Before Poquelin could unseal the seal, I called out to him.

"Poquelin! Stop!" I shouted.

He turned around to face us, scowling in surprise and utter contempt.

"_YOU_ again. I admire your persistence, but come now... I think it is time you accepted the face that it is not within your power to stop me."

"Why don't you step away from that stone, and we will show you just what we are capable of?" I challenged.

"There is no need for such empty threats," Poquelin shook his head while smirking. "The only reason you are still alive is because I want all of you to witness this historical moment."

Poquelin turned around to face the stone once more, and he began to undo the seal. He started moving his arms in the proper gestures, and chanting a language none of us understood, and then the stone began to glow bright blue. Its brightness grew so much, we had to shield our eyes with our arms, and when the brightness died down, we looked ahead and saw that Jerrod's Stone is gone! All that is left where it used to be is a bright, shimmering portal, a portal that will take anyone who steps through it into the Nine Hells! We knew that we urgently need find a way to close up or destroy that portal quickly, because an endless horde of demons will come jumping out the portal any minute! Poquelin turned to face us, laughing triumphantly.

"Behold! The circle is complete! What was undone so long ago has been done once more. The doors to the Lower Planes have been thrown wide!" He exclaimed.

"Oh, no..." Andy whimpered.

"This is bad..." Gorris said.

"And now my brethren are free to plunder this world for its immortal spoils. Soon, the ranks of the Blood War army will swell with thousands of fresh souls!" Poquelin continued with triumph.

At that moment, we heard a door behind us swing open!

"Hold, Poquelin. It will take more than boasting to bring you victory this day," Everard said while he descended down the stairs towards us.

"Everard! You made it!" I exclaimed.

Everard walked past us, looking at the portal in awe. I could tell that he is disappointed that he never got the chance to see Jerrod's Stone before Poquelin got rid of it.

"Jerrod's Stone... I... have never seen it," he said sadly.

"I thought you couldn't break through the glyphs. How did you do it?" I asked.

Everard turned to face me.

"They dissolved once I felt Tempus within me, calling me to battle. Jovan, you were right about me. I am a cowardly warrior, there is no shame in admitting it. But now... I am no longer afraid. I have heard Tempus's call to battle, and now I know what I must do- what Jerrod had to do."

"What are you talking about?" Gorris asked him.

I could see it in his eyes. Everard has changed. Whatever happened up there before the glyphs dissolved, Everard is not the same man I lectured several minutes ago at the makeshift camp. He has become an enlightened Battle-Priest of Tempus. He has now become a warrior that is strong not just in his body, but also his heart. He has become a true warrior now.

"The tale of Jerrod's Stone is a lesson in sacrifice. Sacrificing oneself so that others might live... That was Jerrod's choice. It has taken me a long time, too long, to realize the nobility in such a gesture," Everard explained.

"Wait. What do you plan on doing?" Felicia asked him.

"Wait, Everard, have you thought this through? There might be another way," I said.

Everard chose not to waste time explaining his intentions to us. Instead, he charged at Poquelin and the portal, and as he did, he shouted:

"_TEMPUS!_"

Poquelin attempted to cast a spell to stop Everard, but he couldn't complete the spell in time because as soon as Everard got close enough, he punched Poquelin across his face so hard, he collapsed to the floor. Everard ran up the small flight of stairs and stepped into the portal without actually going through it, standing between the Prime Material Plane and the Nine Hells. Then he turned to face us, spreading his arms and legs out, and calling to Tempus with a triumphant shout once more.

"EVERARD!" I shouted.

The magical energies of the portal began to siphon Everard's blood, we saw cuts forming on his arms, and his blood flowed out of the wounds of his arms and circulated around the portal in a clockwise and counter-clockwise pattern, creating a new stone that encased Everard inside it. Everard's blood circulated around him and the portal and to my shock, hardened into stone somehow. It took little more than a minute for the process to complete itself. Now a new stone has been made, resealing the portal, and like Jerrod before him, Everard's body is visible inside the stone, mouth open shouting to Tempus in triumph. Poquelin rubbed his jaw as he groggily stood back up on his feet. He saw the new stone, Everard's Stone, and growled in frustration, clenching his fists, and he turned to face us, his face etched with pure anger.

"Fools! Do you think you can defeat me so easily?! The priest has done nothing but delay the inevitable! I still possess the secrets of unlocking the portal! It is only a matter of time before I open the gate once more," he exclaimed, spittle flying out of his mouth and saliva leaking from his mouth like a feral dog.

"You won't get that chance, we'll bring you down before you can. Your time is over," I said, aiming my loaded crossbow at him to show how serious I am.

"Over? Over?! On the contrary, my time has only just begun!" Poquelin exclaimed in rage.

* * *

At that moment, Poquelin removed a magic spell around himself, a spell that holds together his human form... And now... Poquelin proceeded to show us his true form. His true form is that of a tall demon creature known as a Baatezu. He is tall, about nine feet, with goat-like legs that curves in the shape of a bolt of lightning almost in the shape of a "Z", red skin, a long prehensile tail, and long twisted horns that resemble the horns of a kudu. He wore a few pieces of body armor that vaguely resembles samurai armor, without a helmet and leaving some parts of his body unprotected, and he has two swords sheathed on both sides of his waist.

"Holy sh...!" Andy gasped.

"So Poquelin really is a demon..." Ordmar said.

"Poquelin... Who... I mean, _what_ are you?" I asked him.

"I am a denizen of the Nine Hells," Poquelin said, his voice much deeper than in his human form, as he drew his swords for battle. "And I no longer go by the name of Poquelin. I've shed that old skin. My true name is Belhifet."

"Poquelin, Belly Fat, I don't care what your name is, you're going down!" Xalorn exclaimed, then he and Gorris and Ordmar charged at Belhifet!

"Fools!" Belhifet sneered as he readied himself.

I fired a bolt at Belhifet's shoulder, hoping to hurt him and make him lower his guard so Ordmar, Gorris and Xalorn can have a window of opportunity to attack him. Andy followed up with a Magic Missile, and Lysara and Felicia fired their arrows. Unfortunately our projectiles didn't hurt him at all because they are too weak to harm a powerful Baatezu demon. Belhifet noticed Gorris and Xalorn coming at him from opposite sides, and since Xalorn is closer, he focused on him. Belhifet parried Xalorn's Morningstar mace with his left sword, then parried Gorris's +3 two-handed sword with his right sword, then just when Ordmar thought he had him, Belhifet kicked out at Ordmar with his powerful goat-like leg when he got close enough, sending him flying into a few stacks of barrels in the southwestern corner of the room.

"Ordmar! No!" I exclaimed, hoping he is only knocked unconscious.

While I tried reloading my crossbow, Felicia tried to help Gorris and Xalorn instead by wielding her +3 mace, she charged forward. Belhifet broke his swords free from locking with Gorris and Xalorn's weapons, then he tried to attack Xalorn, but he still held up his shield for protection, and Belhifet realized that Xalorn is just being a decoy even though he is the strongest of all of us and should be attacking, then he quickly shifted his focus on Gorris, and failed to stop his attack quick enough. Gorris's two-handed sword had enough power to slash Belhifet's skin. With a mighty swing, Gorris's blade cut through the naked midsection of Belhifet's body, cutting his skin. Belhifet roared in pain and backhanded Gorris so hard, he spun in the air with both feet off the ground and collapsed to the floor, too wounded, fatigued and unconscious to get up and continue fighting.

"Gorris!" I exclaimed.

"He's too strong!" Lysara exclaimed.

"Don't give up!" Andy exclaimed, then prepared to cast a new spell.

Felicia joined in helping Xalorn attack Belhifet. He didn't see her coming, so she managed to jump at him, swing her +3 mace down towards his back and create a great wound that caused him to roar in pain.

"Bad idea!" Lysara said after firing an arrow, which missed hitting the demon.

Belhifet tried to backhand Felicia with his right arm without completely turning his body around from facing Xalorn who is still holding his shield up in defense, but Felicia crouched down, avoiding the blow that would have separated her head from her body. Then he quickly followed up with a vicious sword strike with his left arm, turning his entire body counter-clockwise, an unexpected move that startled Felicia, but luckily she managed to dodge by rolling aside, the blade sailing inches over her rolling body, then he continued turning his body counter-clockwise back to Xalorn and followed up with a powerful sword strike that dented Xalorn's shield and made his left arm sting immensely with pain.

In retaliation, Xalorn lunged at Belhifet with his shield still up in an attempt to bash him with the shield and stun him. The shield hit Belhifet in the chin, and it did stun him, but only for less than two seconds. When Xalorn thought he had him, he spun around clockwise and attempted to bash his Morningstar mace horizontally across Belhifet's head, but the attack failed, he recovered in time to parry the half-orc's strike with his right hand sword, then kicked Xalorn back, causing him to stagger back at a perfect distance to be cut down. Andy cast Stoneskin on Xalorn in the nick of time, because when the half-orc dropped his shield and Morningstar mace in exhaustion, Belhifet struck Xalorn with a strike that would have cut through Xalorn's skin and lungs and ended his life in one hit, but instead, his skin which had been turned to stone only suffered a non-fatal large cut in the chest area, the sword couldn't cut through the hardened skin and damage the lungs, and Xalorn collapsed unconscious rather than dead.

Just when Belhifet turned his undivided attention to Felicia, I decided that I should step up and face Belhifet with Aihonen's sword, and no other weapon. most of our weapons are ineffective against him. Aihonen's sword is our only hope now. Even though Felicia's +3 mace can harm him too, I don't want her in harm's way, I care about her too much, and I'm sure Andy, as a brother figure to her, feels the same way. I ran towards him with my crossbow aimed at him and I fired at his head, not to hurt him, but to get his attention. I saw the bolt bounce off the back of his head but he still ignored me. Then I saw a large emerald colored magic missile slam into Belhifet's back, causing him to stagger forward, and splashes of acid rained down off his back, slowly eating away at his skin. I glanced over at Andy and realized that he helped me distract the demon from attacking Felicia. The spell he cast at Belhifet was not a magic missile, he cast Vitriolic Sphere, a spell that sends a big ball of acid flying towards an enemy, and once the enemy is hit, the sphere explodes, sending small splashes of acid raining down. fortunately Belhifet's body acted as a shield for Felicia, so none of the acid splashed her way, but some of the splashes got on unconscious Gorris and Xalorn's body armor. Luckily none of it got in their skin. After getting hit by the Vitriolic Sphere, Belhifet slowly turned around to face me, Andy and Lysara, his eyes focused on me, and baring his sharp yellow teeth, both in anger and trying to endure the pain of the acid eating at the skin on his back.

"You want a real challenge? Take me on instead!" I challenged.

"With pleasure!" Belhifet forced a grin.

"Jovan! What are you doing!?" Felicia exclaimed.

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing!" I shouted back, keeping my focus on Belhifet as I approached him.

Andy cast his last memorized Haste spell on me, exactly what I needed.

With my enhanced speed, I danced around Belhifet, trying to confuse him, make him dizzy.

"Stand still, you annoying elf!" Belhifet sneered in frustration, trying to stay focused on what I am doing and ignoring the pain the acid is causing on his back, but it was easy to tell that he can't easily shrug off the effects of the acid.

When he tried to swing one of his swords down on me, I dodged swiftly and made my move. I slashed at his chest, breaking off a few pieces of his armor.

"Gah!" He groaned, clutching at his wound.

I didn't let up. I slashed at his body with blinding speed several more times until he desperately tried to retaliate with a furious barrage of sword strikes. I'm not as strong as Xalorn, Gorris and Ordmar, so all I did was dodge, not parry the strikes. Somehow Belhifet got lucky and the tip of his left hand sword scratched my face. I cried out in pain and staggered back, feeling blood leak out from the horizontal cut on my right cheek.

"Jovan!" Felicia exclaimed.

I never noticed, but Andy casted the Strength spell on me, boosting my physical strength to be on par with Xalorn. I paid no attention to Felicia's calls, focusing on Belhifet instead. He brought both of his swords down toward my head, I dodged aside then brought Aihonen's sword down toward Belhifet's left wrist and cut his left hand off before he could withdraw his arms for another strike. Belhifet screamed in pain, dark red blood spurting out from the stump where his left hand used to be. And instead of staying in the sidelines like I wanted her to, Felicia charged forward towards Belhifet, got near his legs and swung her mace at the demon's right leg, breaking his bones and causing him to collapse to the ground.

He is now in a lot of pain, too much pain to continue fighting us. On top of this, we could see smoke rising up from his acid covered back, but he still struggled to stand up even though he knew he couldn't, but he remained defiant, and I knew that this is my chance. While he struggled to stand up on his left leg and his right hand, I charged at his head. When he looked up and saw me coming, I stabbed the blade of Aihonen's sword straight into Belhifet's forehead. Then he froze. When I pulled the blood covered blade out, he collapsed like a lifeless rag doll.

Then seconds afterwards, I saw a few surges of electricity pulsing around his corpse, and then his body levitated up a few feet in the air, his arms and legs dangling lifelessly in midair. Then, I thought it was my imagination, but I thought I vaguely saw Belhifet's soul leave his body and disappear into thin air. I could see him screaming in rage at having been defeated and being forced to return to the Nine Hells where he came from, and where he will be forced to remain there for 100 years, being unable to willingly return to the mortal plane and get revenge on us no matter how badly he wants to. After that, his body fell back to the floor with a large thud.

At that moment Ordmar, Xalorn and Gorris regained consciousness.

"Is... is it over?" Ordmar groaned, rubbing his head.

"Yes. The demon is dead," Andy told him.

"Really...? That's great!" Gorris said, then he looked down and noticed that the leathers of his armor is smoking. "What the?!" He exclaimed then pulled off the smoking pieces.

"Ugh... I'll feel much better once we get something to eat," Xalorn moaned, then he noticed his smoking armor. "Ah! What!" He yelped, pulling off the armor plates until all he wore was his undershirt.

Before we could celebrate, we heard and felt a rumbling noise.

"What is that?" Andy looked up at the ceiling in bewilderment.

"Since Belhifet is dead, the crystal tower is collapsing! We better get out of here, fast!" I said.

We made a beeline towards the stairs and open door, making our way back into the temple/crystal tower audience hall, and we quickly made our way towards the temple's exit as shards of crystals collapsed around us. When we made it outside, we quickly realized that we are not out of the woods yet. The tower is collapsing, and its debris is falling around our ears! We ran as far away as we possibly could away from Cryshal-Tirilith's falling debris. When we got far enough, we looked back and saw there is nothing left of Cryshal-Tirilith, the tower had crumbled into a million pieces. Breathing heavily, we savored the moment of our victory, especially when the first rays of sunlight broke through the dark gray skies.

"We... we did it... I can hardly believe it, but we did it," Andy smiled in relief.

"So, it's over. We defeated the bad guy, emerged victorious, saved the world, and now we can all go our separate ways, right?" Gorris asked.

"Well... not all of us," I said to Gorris.

I turned my attention to Felicia near me.

"Somehow, I knew you would say that," she smiled.

I answered her remark with a kiss and we embraced.

At that moment we heard cheers from the people of Easthaven several yards behind us.

Andy looked at me and Felicia kissing for a few seconds, then he turned to look at Ordmar and asked him rather comically:

"How are you, Ordmar? You okay?"

"I could use a swig of some strong dwarven ale," the dwarven defender replied, wiping sweat off his forehead.

Andy shook his head and smiled. "If dwarven ale tastes as good as you say, I'm game for a drink," he said.


	13. Chapter 13 The Heart of Winter Part 1

The following days, weeks and months after Belhifet's defeat were rather peaceful. The winter storms that Crenshinibon caused in the Spine of the World is thawing out, meaning the people of Kuldahar are safe now, and Easthaven is slowly but definitely rebuilding itself with the support of the other nine towns of Icewind Dale. I recall that my companions and I tried to conduct a search party around the remains of the temple of Tempus to find that artifact that Belhifet used to build his army, the powerful gem called Crenshinibon. But we never found it. We searched the ruins for hours, and we still couldn't find it. If what Belhifet said is true, if Crenshinibon is a living artifact and has a personality of its own, then it must have sensed that its partner is dead, sent back to the Nine Hells and it escaped somewhere in Icewind Dale, which caused Cryshal-Tirith to collapse. It really worried me that such a dangerous artifact is at large somewhere in the region, but we can't hunt something down without leads to where it could be, as much as it pains me.

As for Belhifet and his rival, Yxunomei, they remain trapped in their home, the Nine Hells, tormented by their mistakes, failures and defeat by our hands. I'm not sure if Yxunomei is interested in getting revenge on me and my companions, but it's Belhifet that I'm more concerned about. He is a creature of indomitable ambition, he will likely learn from his mistakes and defeat, and I have a feeling that as soon as he is able to find a way to come back to the mortal plane 100 years from 1281 DR, he will hunt down Ordmar, Felicia and I since we are his only adversaries able to live long enough to witness his possible return. Gorris, Andy, Xalorn and Lysara would have long passed away from old age. So, do you think that since Belhifet is defeated, our adventures in Icewind Dale came to an end? No, it did not yet, our adventure did not end there. There was one more adventure that we had before we went our separate ways, and I think I have time to tell you about it.

It all started several months later after Belhifet's defeat, in Uktar of 1281 DR, in the town of Lonelywood, one of the Ten Towns of Icewind Dale, an elderly barbarian shaman named Hjollder (pronounced "Heoll-dare") tracked us down and asked us to come to the campsite of the Reghed barbarian tribes as ambassadors representing the Ten Towns and broker a peace treaty with a former barbarian king of the Tribe of the Bear who had recently come back from the dead to lead not just his tribe, but also the other Reghed tribes as a whole. Uh, wait, hold on, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start from the beginning about this Hjollder person. First of all, the Reghedmen were barbarian tribes that live solely in Icewind Dale, also known as the "Men of the Tundra". See, unlike the Uthgardt, which is the collective term to describe all barbarian tribes in Faerun, the two tribes that live in Icewind Dale, the Tribe of the Elk and the Tribe of the Bear generally worship Tempos, which is the name they give to Tempus, instead of the god known as Uthgar, who is the exarch of Tempus, and they have proudly eked out a harsh, bitter life between the Sea of Moving Ice and the Reghed Glacier for centuries.

A few days before Hrothgar led us and the rest of his expedition out to Kuldahar Pass, Hjollder, elder shaman of the Tribe of the Bear began to receive visions about the resurrection of a king that had been recently slain, and that his body will be possessed by a spirit that is completely consumed by revenge. Curious and eager to learn the purpose of his vision, Hjollder journeyed across the tundra to Kuldahar days before we got there, and during his stay there when we were investigating the activities of Yxunomei and Belhifet, his visions showed us the faces of the heroes who will help him with the upcoming dilemma of a tribe king coming back from the dead controlled by a vengeful spirit. The heroes in his vision were me and my companions. His vision foretold us traveling farther north across a sea of ice and snow, straight into the heart of winter. After we defeated Belhifet and all the snow in the Kuldahar Pass thawed out over the following months, Hjollder, guided by Tempus, began his search for us and found us in Lonelywood, where we originally sought to have a meeting with Baldemar Thurlow, a former wagon maker and council spokesman for Lonelywood about assisting in reconstruction of Easthaven's temple of Tempus.

Lonelywood is a town that sits along the rocky shores of a large lake similar to Lac Dinneshere called Maer Dualdon. The town gets its name from an alpine forest called "Lonely Wood", and Lonelywood has the honor of being the northernmost town in all of Faerun, meaning it is colder there than in Easthaven all season. It would have been much colder if it weren't for that mountain. The town lies close to Kelvin's Cairn, a solitary mountain peak that acts as a shield for the town against the harsh, frigid winds that blow down from the Reghed Glacier. Lonelywood is also the youngest town of the Ten Towns, being the tenth town of the Ten Towns to be built. I heard that 50 years ago before 1281 DR, there was nothing acting as an obstacle for civilized settlements north of Termalaine, and Lonely Wood was rife with logger camps and lone trappers.

We had only arrived to Lonelywood by hitching a ride on a caravan delivering some supplier to The Whistling Gallows inn. It was a beautiful morning, and the ride from Easthaven to Lonelywood was a long one. Gorris was the first to jump out the wagon and stretch his arms.

"Ahhh... Another fine early winter day, eh, Jovan?" He asked me when I stepped out behind him.

"Yes," I nodded. "Makes me miss the autumn already."

After we jumped out the caravan wagons, the supplier supervising the delivery, a man named Jeb Rochwind came up to us.

"Well, here we are in quaint little Lonelywood. I hope the ride wasn't too rough for ye all, wasn't it?" He asked us.

"A bit of a stiff neck ain't enough t' make us grumble, Jeb," Ordmar assured him with a warm smile.

"_Speak for yourself_," Andy muttered quietly to him.

Ordmar stomped his right foot on Andy's left foot to make him shut up.

"Ow...!" Andy moaned.

"Glad to hear it," Jeb said with a pleased smile, then he headed over to the back of the wagon with his hired hands and pulled out the first supply of crates. "So, you're here to see ol' Baldemar, right?"

"Yes. Reconstruction of Easthaven's temple of Tempus would go along a lot faster if he contributed. Besides, we need to get that room containing Jerrod's Stone blocked off as soon as possible," I said.

"I hear ye. The people of Easthaven owe you their lives. And Baldemar's house is located just a few yards north from the inn," Jeb replied, setting the crate he pulled out the wagon down to the ground then wiping his forehead, then a concerned hired hand approached him.

"Do you want me to help you with that, sir Rochwind?" The young man asked.

"Oh, no, lad, I got this. Besides, I need to get some exercise in, myself," Jeb replied.

"Okay. We're leaving now, and thank you for the ride, Jeb," Andy said, then we walked away, waving goodbye.

Lonelywood is similar to Easthaven in a few ways. There are not many buildings and there are a few fishing boats out on Maer Dualdon, likely fishing for Knucklehead Trout since they are the most popular breed of fish in Icewind Dale, usually for scrimshaw crafting reasons. As we walked closer to the largest building in Lonelywood, which is most likely The Whistling Gallows inn, we passed by a healthy looking 65 year old human man with a long thick beard black as ink wearing thick clothing made out of the hide of many creatures found in Icewind Dale. As soon as he glanced at us, we heard him gasp in shock.

"By Tempos! The vision speaks true. You _are _the heroes from my dreams," he said to us in awe.

We stopped walking, then slowly turned around to face him.

"Uh... what did you say?" Andy scratched his head in confusion.

"Have we met, good sir?" I asked the elderly human man.

The man shook his head. "Our paths have not crossed until this day. I am Hjollder, son to Hrethric, elder and shaman to the Tribe of the Bear."

"Well met, Hjollder. I am Jovan."

"I'm Felicia."

"Call me Andy."

"I'm Gorris."

"Xalorn."

"The name's Lysara!"

"I am Ordmar."

"What's this business about dreams and visions?" Andy asked.

"The vision is why I have come to this place. Tempos has guided me to you," Hjollder replied.

"For what reason?" Ordmar asked.

"This I cannot say. I only know that the storm of war darkens the skies of my homeland. My people are gathering in numbers greater than any have seen for generations. A king, both new and old, ha risen to lead the tribes against the Ten Towns. Already the first snows of winter bear the dark stains of spilt blood," Hjollder replied with worry and uncertainty.

"What can you tell us about this new and old king?" Felicia asked.

"Wylfdene (simply pronounced "Wolf-Dane") is his name. He was a great warrior who was slain in battle on the eve of last season. Now his body has returned from death's halls to lead my people once more... as king," Hjollder explained.

This information immediately had us all worried. A barbarian king that has been dead for a year is back from the dead, leading the Reghedmen as an undead monster?

"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa! This man came back from the grave? What kind of undead monster is this king of yours?" Gorris asked in shock and confusion at this story.

"Wylfdene's flesh is but a vessel, a borrowed tool. The spirit of the new king is much, much older than the form it now inhabits. It is said that the spirit of Jerrod governs his body. It is this claim that has fueled the fires of vengeance among my people," Hjollder clarified.

The timing of this is too perfect. It has been months since Belhifet broke Jerrod's Stone. Is it possible that the destruction of the original stone freed Jerrod's spirit?

"Jerrod? Isn't that the barbarian hero who was entombed beneath the temple in Easthaven?" Lysara asked us.

We nodded at her, including Hjollder.

"The same. You know our history well," Hjollder commended Lysara.

"Let's just say that we had to rescue Jerrod's Stone from those of evil intent," I told Hjollder.

He nodded in approval. "And now, after centuries of imprisonment, Jerrod's spirit is free and rallies the tribes once again in a common cause."

"I don't understand. If Jerrod was a great hero, his cause of rallying the tribes for war must be just. So why are you here?" Felicia said.

"You must understand. I have read the signs. Tempos will not favor either side in the coming battles. Both my people and those of the Ten Towns shall be haunted by countless deaths without honor. I have cast my spirit into the nether realm in search of a way to prevent what must not be. My vision quest led me here to find you. _You _are the answer I seek," Hjollder said, pointing at us.

"I understand. So what can we do to help you?" I asked.

"You must come to Hengorot (pronounced "Hengoro" without the "t")... to the great mead hall where the tribes have gathered. You alone can forestall the war between our peoples," Hjollder said.

"Very well. We shall accompany you," I said.

"Though we journey to the same destination, our paths are not one. My place is at the side of my king, Already I have been gone too long. From here, you must go alone. The people of this town will know the way to the camp of my people."

"Okay, Hjollder, we understand," Gorris said.

"Travel swiftly and safely. We shall meet again when you stand before the council in the great mead hall," Hjollder said before he used his shaman magic to teleport himself to Hengorot... wherever that place may be.

Andy and I stared into each others eyes, obviously conflicted about what to do.

"So? What do we do?" He asked me, breaking the six second silence. "Do we allow ourselves to be distracted by our task of meeting Baldemar Thurlow, or do we go find this top secret barbarian meeting place?"

There's no beating around the bush about it, I knew what needed to be done. Being distracted from asking Baldemar for Lonelywood's support in rebuilding the temple of Tempus in Easthaven will not hinder the reconstruciton efforts, already five of the Ten Towns are pitching in.

"The sensible thing," I began to say.

"Aw! I knew he was going to say that!" Lysara exclaimed excitedly.

Ignoring her, I continued speaking to Andy. "We need to prevent a war between the Ten Towns and the barbarians. The reconstruction of the temple of Tempus can afford to suffer a few days of delays. If a war happens, Lonelywood will get hit hard. Look at this place. It won't last a minute in a war against a tribe of barbarians."

"All right. So what's our first step? Hjollder didn't want us to come with him," Xalorn said.

"We go to the inn and learn what we can. What better place can we go for information?" I asked incredulously.

And so without further ado, we headed for the Whistling Gallows Inn, which is in the center of Lonelywood. The inn is not hard to find, it is the biggest, and most stylish building in all of Lonelywood. 50 years ago before the Year of the Cold Soul, when the area where Lonelywood stands had mostly loggers and trappers, a giant of a man, Skeld, came to Lonely Wood and took up work in one of the logging camps. He was half barbarian and half ogre, and Skeld's great size and strength were welcomed, tolerated and used. That didn't last long, though, when Skeld nearly severed his leg in a logging accident; not only could he no longer keep pace with the other woodsmen, he could not even make the journey south to the nearest town in search of a new job. Desperate to keep on living, Skeld came upon the idea of building a lodge near Maer Dualdon and opening it up to the loggers as a tavern. Soon, every logger in the region knew and frequented "Skeld's Place," as it was called back then because he didn't like coming up with fancy names like "The Bashful Pixie", names like that gave him a migraine, they say.

The loggers, trappers and adventurers who frequented the tavern were rowdy men who enjoyed their beer, mead and ale, and Skeld never anticipated the possibility of a bar fight. On the very first night of the tavern's opening, Skeld was forced to lay down the law, using his sheer size and strength to keep order, and it wasn't long before he earned himself a fearful reputation for his brutality. According to stories, one of his favorite methods of keeping patrons in line was to hang the troublemakers from the dead tree that stood out front of the tavern and let the frozen bodies swing from the tree until the scavengers picked them clean. It was a scary but effective warning, so much so that late at night, when the tavern had fallen silent, the whistling of the wind could be heard as it blew through the bodies dangling from the tree outside. A few years afterwards, Skeld was stabbed to death in a bar brawl, and the ownership of the tavern changed. The new proprietor, a young man named Murdaugh, changed the name of the tavern to the Whistling Gallows, in memory of Skeld and how he punished troublemakers in the tavern. Murdaugh ran the inn for many years until it was purchased by a traveling merchant, Kieran Nye, who still ran the inn on the day my companions and I visited Lonelywood.

However, before we could get nine feet close to the inn's door, we heard a child cry out nearby:

"Help! Somebody! Help!"

Curious, we turned our heads left and right, trying to find the source of the voice.

"There!" Ordmar pointed out, southwest from our current direction.

About 13 yards away from us, we saw a little girl with short brown hair wearing a plain red dress standing near a well, shouting for help. What confused me briefly is that no one came to her aid even though she was yelling loud enough to alert the whole town.

"Help! Please! My brother is stuck in in the well!" She cried.

"Oh, damn," Andy groaned. "It's sad when kids don't know where they shouldn't stick their faces into."

"We better go help," I said.

"Aye! We can't let the wee lad drown down there!" Ordmar said adamantly.

We headed over to the girl and well, and she saw us coming.

"Help! Help me, please... my brother and I were playing, and he fell down the well! I think he's hurt!" She exclaimed to us, tears leaking from her green eyes.

"Calm down. What is your name?" Andy asked her.

The girl tried to calm down, at least, but she couldn't stop herself from stammering. "Muh... muh... my name's Hailee Dunn. I dared my brother to climb down the well, and h-h-he did... but he slipped, and I heard him fall... please, help him!" Hailee explained to Andy, and while she did, Gorris, Felicia and I gathered around the well, peering down into the darkness.

"Hey! Are you all right down there?" Gorris called down into the well.

"Can you hear us?" Felicia called.

Strange thing is, no reply came. We heard nothing. To make matters worse, we couldn't find a rope attached to a bucket near the well. How can people expect to draw water out of the well without a rope and bucket?

"There's no rope," Xalorn said.

"I have no rope. I shall see if I can get help at once," Andy said to Hailee, kneeling down so she won't have to look up at him.

Hailee stated nodding quickly. "Yes! My father has some rope! He can get my brother out!"

"Your father? Which house is his?" I asked.

"It's on the far north side of town, in the eastern corner- next to the woods! Please.. hurry!" Hailee replied.

"Okay, we're off. We shall return quickly, Hailee. Stay with your brother," Andy advised her.

* * *

Following her instructions, we headed northeast towards the house near the edge of town, close to the woods, there we found a mid-sized house, which is likely the house of Hailee's father. Out in front of the house are many finished and unfinished barrels, iron bands and wood planks. I ran up to the door and began pounding on it with my right fist.

"Dunn! Are you in there?" I called.

"Hold on a moment!" A voice from inside the house called.

I sighed in exasperation and began pounding on the door again.

"Dunn! We need to speak to you!" I called.

"Hold on a moment!" The voice called again, this time in a more agitated tone.

I didn't care if I make him mad, the life of his son is at risk. I resumed pounding on the door again. Instead of shouting this time, I heard footsteps approaching, and then the door quickly swung wide open, revealing an annoyed man with short brown hair that is turning gray around his ears, small trimmed mustache and beard, tan skin, and he wore the clothes of a carpenter, with a dark brown apron tied around his pantaloons.

"Hold on, I said I'll be with you in a moment. I just need to set this last piece here," he said.

"Can we come in?" I asked.

Dunn nodded. "Yes, sure, come on in," he said.

Once we stepped inside, he shut the door and ran over to the workbench on the other side of the room, putting on thick gloves before touching the iron band. Judging from the work he is doing, and the barrels, iron bands and wood planks outside, he seems to be the town cooper, a person who makes barrels.

"What are you doing?" Xalorn asked.

"Trying to set this hoop to the barrel before the metal cools... but the thing's..." he paused to strain trying to push the ring shaped red hot iron band into the sides of the barrel, but he was having a hard time getting the band to fit around it. "...stubborn... ah, there it goes!" he sighed in relief, then he pulled off his gloves, wiped his sweating forehead and turned around to face us.

"Now... name's Dunn, Tybald Dunn. I haven't seen any of you around here before. Are you new faces?"

"We're just passing through," Felicia replied.

"So why have you come to see me?" Tybald asked.

"Your son's fallen into the well and needs your help," I replied.

Tybald blinked and frowned in confusion, much to my surprise.

"That so? Well now, stranger, I'd be worried if I _had _a son. I fear you've met my daughter- too much of an imp's spirit in her for her own good," Tybald said, shaking his head in disappointment.

We had a hard time processing this.

"Are you saying she was lying to us?" Andy asked, feeling confused as we all were.

"She's been telling that "brother in the well" tale to damn near every visitor to Lonelywood for the past few months... by the gods, that girl has been bringing out the furies in me ever since she was born," Tybald grumbled, then slammed his right hand in the surface of his workbench.

"You should go speak to her about crying orc," Ordmar said.

"That damned girl! She was supposed to have been home _hours _ago to help with these casks... you see her again, tell her to come home, or it'll be the birch stick for her," Tybald said, his face red with rage.

"If you know she is crying orc, why do you let her do this?" I asked.

Tybald raised an eyebrow. ""Let her"? She's more willful than her mother- I barely have time to make ends meet, much less keep them both in line... Enough about my family, if you got other business with me, let me know."

"We don't, we'll have a word with your daughter," Andy said.

* * *

A minute later, we returned to Hailee near the well.

"Um... did you find father?" Hailee meekly asked us, crossing her arms behind her back.

That's how I realized that she knows that we know the truth.

"Yes, we did... and he told us that you had no brother, Hailee, and that you'd best hurry home," I said sternly.

"I won't go!" Hailee blurted out. "Let him make his stupid barrels all day, because I won't do it! I_ hate_ it, and I _hate_ him!"

She said it with such force in her voice, I was taken aback. She genuinely hates him.

Felicia stepped forward and knelt down to Hailee's height.

"I think a young girl like you could find more amusement in playing pitch pebble or old man's crutch than telling tales to strangers," she told the young girl in a friendly tone.

"Those games are for babies, and 'sides, there's no one here to play _with_, except Purvis, and he gets mad when you pitch pebbles at him!"

"There's no other children in town?" Andy asked.

"There's just me... father's always in the shop making his stupid barrels... and mother's always drinking in the inn... there's nothing to DO in this stupid town," Hailee fumed.

"So what do you do all day? Surely you do not wander this town alone," Felicia said.

"Uh-huh," Hailee nodded. "Sometimes in the forest, too, but not much... mostly just in town. By the well sometimes, or Purvis's shack, or I climb up in the tree by the inn.. there's a really good view up there."

"A good view? Of what?" Lysara asked.

Hailee began to smile now. "People in town. Of the inside of the inn. And.. things... Things I can't tell you about... _secrets_."

"I don't believe you, girl... what kind of secrets could _you _possible know?" Xalorn asked skeptically.

"_Secret _secrets! If I told you, they wouldn't BE secrets," she replied.

"If I give you a shiny gold piece, will you tell me a secret?" Andy asked, willing to part with his lucky coin given to him by Felicia.

I couldn't believe it! He is willing to part with his lucky coin? I can't force him to refuse if that's what he wants to do.

A devious smile spread across Hailee's face. "Hmmm... let me _see _it first, then I'll tell you.. maybe," she said slowly.

Andy dug into his pocket and gave Hailee a gold piece, not his lucky coin. I had no idea why I thought he would be willing to give up his lucky coin. I guess the jealous side of me wished that he would give up his romantic feelings for Felicia since she has feeling for me instead.

"Here you are... one gold, one secret," Andy reminded her when he gave her the gold piece.

"Well... you can't tell _anybody, _but you know that old bag o' bones, Kieran? The one that bought the inn?" She asked us.

"No, but go ahead," Gorris answered on our behalf.

"Well, you know _why_ he bought the inn? Bet you don't."

"No... why did he buy the inn?" Lysara asked with growing curiosity.

"'Cause it has a _magic mirror!_ Uh-huh, it's true! I saw him step right through it... well, I mean, he _opens_ it first, but it's _like_ he's walking right through it!"

"Are you telling another tall tale, Hailee?" Ordmar asked her.

"No! It's true! I saw him do it one night when I was chasing night flies outside! I saw him through his bedroom window- he walked into his room and opened the mirror!"

"All right. Perhaps I'll ask Kieran about it," Andy announced with a slight hint of amusement in his voice.

"just don't tell him I told you, or else he'll put _me_ in the mirror," Hailee warned us.

"We won't, farewell," I said, then we headed over to the entrance of the Whispering Gallows Inn.

We let two people step outside from the inn before we could enter, and as soon as we walked inside, we were welcomed by the warm air... and the fresh odor of cooking meat. There are four wooden tables occupied by several people eating and drinking, talking, laughing and such. In the middle of the bar room is roasting chicken meat suspended by rods above a small pit of hot coals and fire. Up ahead at the bar, we saw Kieran himself behind the bar and a lone old man sitting in front of the bar holding an empty flagon of liquor. Kieran is a middle aged man wearing a teal colored shirt and pants, and he seemed tired. as if he has been working hard all day.

"I'm parched. Another wine, good sir," the old man called to Kieran.

Kieran sighed, pulled a bottle of wine off the wine shelf behind him, popped off the cork.

"Honestly, Murdaugh. Are you trying to drink yourself blind?' Kieran asked him while he poured the liquid into Murdaugh's flagon, and he stopped with the glass half full.

"Pour on, friend. You're a barkeep, not a nursemaid," Murdaugh urged him.

Kieran filled the flagon until it nearly reached the rim of the flagon then he stopped. And Murdaugh proceeded to drink it all even though some of his wine spilled out of the flagon and splashed on his brown-beige tunic.

"Surely your innards must be pickled by now. Why don't you lay off the wine and sing us a tune?" Kieran suggested while he pressed the cork back on the bottle.

"I'll sing when I'm good and drunk," Murdaugh smiled, and that was when we sat in the chairs next to him to his left. Fortunately there were enough chairs on that side for us all to sit on.

It didn't take long for Kieran to notice us at all.

"Well met, strangers. Welcome to the Whistling Gallows Inn. I am Kieran Nye, proprietor of this fine establishment. How may I be of service?"

"We'd like a drink first," Gorris replied.

"Sure. What drink would you like? I got Moonshae Whiskey, Cormyrian Brandy, Bitter Black Ale, Winter Wine, Luskan Stout, Knee Cracker Cider, and Iriaeboran North Brew Ale."

"I want Iriaeboran North Brew Ale." I said.

"I'd like Bitter Black Ale," Gorris said.

"Bitter Black Ale fer me," Ordmar said.

"I want Bitter Black Ale too," Felicia said.

"Luskan Stout," Xalorn said.

"Knee Cracker Cider," Lysara said.

"I want Iriaeboran North Brew Ale, too," Andy said.

"All right! That will be 60 copper pieces, or 10 silver pieces, or two gold pieces," Kieran said.

I gave him the two gold pieces and he gave each of us an empty flagon, and he poured the drinks we ordered into them. I'm sure you already know this, but having a drink, especially after a long adventure, or travelling on the road sure feels refreshing.

"So, Kieran," Gorris began after drinking a few gulps of his drink. "Have you heard anything about the Reghedmen barbarian tribes recently?"

Kieran scratched his chin in thought. "Now that you mention it, I have. I heard a few days ago that barbarian tribes were spotted moving south towards Kelvin's Cairn. At first, I thought they were just rumors, but then I heard the battle drums rolling across the tundra like thunder. Unsettling stuff, I tell you."

"Indeed. So, can you tell us how we can get to their camp?" I asked.

Kieran blinked in surprise, and Murdaugh spat out his wine as soon as he heard me say that.

"Are you kidding?" Kieran asked me in disbelief.

"Do you got a death wish, stranger?" Murdaugh asked me.

"You are either very brave, or very stupid to ask me how to get to their camp. I'm sorry, but I can't let you put your life at risk for any reason," Kieran said firmly.

"Is that so?" I asked. "Then tell me, why do you have a magic mirror in your bedroom, huh?"

"Shh!" Kieran stepped directly in front of me.

"Lower your voice... please. I've gone to great lengths to keep that room a secret," Kieran whispered to me. "Behind that door are the remnants of a life I wish to leave behind. Do you understand?"

"Maybe I do and maybe I don't. What's this all about?" I whispered back.

Kieran sighed in defeat. "I see you won't be satisfied until you've pried this secret from me. Very well, if you must know... I am an exile from an organization so paranoid and extreme that they would slay me for daring to break free from their grasp."

"Who are they?" I whispered.

"The organization is known as the Host Tower of the Arcane. Based in Luskan, they are a group of malefic wizards bent on gaining personal power at all costs. I quickly grew tired of their scheming and deigned to leave. Even now, they search for me. I hide here in the hope that I can lead a life as carefree as these settlers. Please, my friend, do not tell a soul of my past."

"Don't worry, Kieran, your secret is safe with me," I whispered back.

Now Kieran looks clearly relieved. "In exchange for your silence, you have my eternal gratitude. In addition, I will tell you how to get to the barbarian camp near Kelvin's Cairn. I don't know how to get there, but there is someone here who does," he said, gradually raising his voice a bit more, then he pointed over at a dwarf sitting at a table closest to the roasting chicken.

"See that dwarven fellow over there? I overheard him talking about his encounter with a barbarian scouting party. Perhaps he may know the location of their camp. You might want to ask him yourself," he said.

"I will," I replied, climbing out of my chair and approaching him, leaving my companions for a while.

I sat down next to the dwarf who is drinking some whiskey, and he looked at me, wondering what compelled me to sit next to him. He definitely looked worse for wear, his right arm all bandaged up, his face bruised, he looked as if he needs to see a cleric.

"Yeah? What ye be wanting, stranger? Can't ye see I be into me cups?"

"Who are you, stranger?" I asked.

"I be Roald Tunnelfist of Clan Battlehammer. An' who do I have the pleasure of bein' pestered by?"

I've heard of Clan Battlehammer. According to stories I've heard from Ordmar, the clan is led by an honorable dwarf named Bruenor Battlehammer the Second, the very same Bruenor who not only eventually became one of Drizzt Do'Urden's closest friends, but also became the 8th king of Mithral Hall, or so I've heard. Mithral Hall is a vast dwarven stronghold somewhere in Icewind Dale built long ago by Bruenor's ancestor, Gandalug Battlehammer and the rest of his kin, and the stronghold has a long history of triumphs and tragedies in dwarven history. Originally it was a mithral mine belonging to Clan Battlehammer, it was an underground town that became a safe haven for various dwarven families and even some persons of other races. But one day the greatest tragedy befell Mithral Hall. From what I've heard, a few centuries ago the dwarves of Mithral Hall were forced to abandon their home because a shadow dragon invaded their home or something like that. I don't know all the details, I only heard this from Ordmar a few years ago, who heard it from his friend who is a member of Clan Battlehammer. Back in the Year of the Cold Soul, reclaiming Mithral Hall has been Bruenor Battlehammer's longtime dream, and finally it became a reality several years ago in 1356 DR.

"I'm Jovan Goldmarsh, from the High Forest. It's a pleasure to meet you," I said, then shook his hand.

Roald smiled under the thickness of his beard.

"Aye... a pleasure it is to meet new friends. Now speak yer mind. What ye be wanting?"

"To talk. You look like you've seen battle recently. I have too," I replied.

"Aye, was 'bout a week hence... Know ye of the barbarian camp east o' here?" Roald asked me.

"Yeah, I heard that they set up a campsite nearby," I nodded.

Roald took a swig of his whiskey before speaking to me.

"Well, me an' me fellows were sent by the clan to scout the camp. Damn savages spotted us an' set on us like a pack o' dogs. We were backed against a bluff with nowhere to run. We knew we were trapped, so we had at 'em. If we were to die, we were not to die alone." Roald paused and sighed heavily. "All me fellows... fell to those savages' blades. I knew me time had come, an' I steadied meself for their blows. Sudden like, this deep voice booms out, an' they steps back. A giant of a man comes forward an' glares at me. Must o' been seven feet tall, an' he was wearin' the markin' of a king. Carried a double-bladed axe bigger than meself."

I was clearly surprised that Roald survived the encounter.

"What happened next?" I asked.

"He raises his axe an' swings at me. Almost had me, too. He was so fast with the blade... I barely raised me shield in time to block the blow. Last thing I remember was me shield shatterin' an' me fallin' from the bluff. I woke up in a pile of broken branches in the trees below. They must o' broken me fall. I bandaged myself up an' limped into town. Been here ever since," Roald explained.

"Anything else you can tell me about them?" I asked.

"Not a thing," Roald shook his head. "Me an' me fellows never made it to the camp proper. Plenty o' guards an' alert as well."

"What do you intend on doing next?" I asked with curiosity.

"As soon as I be fit to travel, I'll report back to the clan. It be up to the clan elders what course to take next. Until then, I be mournin' for the loss of me fellows. What will ye be doing, Jovan?"

"My companions and I will go to their camp and ask for a truce between them and the Ten Towns," I said.

Roald's eyes widened. "Yer the most foolish elf I ever met! Them savages will kill ye before ye can get to their camp!"

"Not unless I tell them their shaman requested me to come. Farewell, Roald," I said and stood up, leaving.

"Good luck to ye, Jovan. Yer gonna need it," Roald said before continuing to drink his whiskey.

I regrouped with my companions and told them that the barbarian campsite is located east from Lonelywood near Bremen's Run, close to the base of Kelvin's Cairn. We left Lonelywood immediately and walked through the woods, going northeast toward the lone mountain.

* * *

We walked through the woods of Bremen's Run for what felt like hours. But we stayed vigilant and alert. We didn't have our weapons drawn, because we don't want to incite hostilities from patrolling barbarian groups. I vividly remember this part. When I had this feeling that we were being watched, even though I couldn't see anyone, that was when we got ambushed. Barbarian patrols, camouflaged with the environment around them thanks to their body armor and fur cloaks, surrounded us! We stayed perfectly still and made no attempt to draw our weapons. we were surrounded by eight barbarian men, all of them sported long red or blond colored hair, and each of them carried large or small wooden shields and a sword or battle axe.

"You're not welcome here, outlanders. Away with you!" A barbarian man with red hair and a scar across the bridge of his nose exclaimed to us.

"We are here to have a meeting with your leader," I announced.

The barbarian who spoke to me frowned in confusion and curiosity.

"No one sees Wylfdene without good cause. What do you want of him?" He asked me.

"We are delegates from the Ten Towns. They wish to sue for peace," I explained.

Then to our utter confusion, the barbarians around us started laughing.

"So, the spineless fishmongers want peace, do they?" the barbarian with the scarred nose asked me.

"I would hardly call them spineless simply because they have no taste for war," I said.

The barbarians stopped laughing now, including the man with the scarred nose.

"Hmph. If they had any backbone, they'd stand before Wylfdene themselves. Instead, they send strangers..." he said.

"How do you know we are not from the Ten Towns?" Andy asked.

"Your looks, your bearings... none of you are city dwellers..." The man's voice trailed off when his eyes glanced over at Gorris.

"But you... Why are you with the outlanders?" He asked.

"I went on an expedition with them to Kuldahar a few months ago. I am coming home now," Gorris said.

"Let us see Wylfdene, please," I said.

"Very well, I'll take you before him. Come," the man with the scarred nose said.

I followed behind him, and my companions were flanked by the scarred man's fellow barbarians. We walked through the forest for the next few minutes. Ten minutes after we passed by the bluff where Roald and his scouting party were ambushed, we found the campsite.

The palisade and gates up ahead is made out of wooden stakes that have been sharpened at the top and bottom. The gate is guarded by two buff barbarian men, one having short black hair, the other having orange-red colored hair. As we approached, the man with the scarred nose nodded at the guards, and the guards opened the gate, allowing us to enter the campsite. As we were led to the great mead hall, I turned my head left and right, scanning my surroundings. There are many sturdy tents here and there, perhaps hundreds, and the tents looked so thick with animal hide they look like they could withstand a blizzard, and there are many men and women here. Each tent had a painting of the face of the animal their tribe is based on. I saw mostly tents belonging to the Tribe of the Elk, but I didn't see any tents with a painting of a bear head on them, marking their allegiance to the Tribe of the Bear. All I saw were tents with paintings of the head of a white dragon, and that confused Gorris the most, but he didn't say anything at all. None of us spoke, because we could feel the air of tamed hostility all around us. I had to fight the urge to fidget under the glares of contempt from every barbarian man and woman who watched us being escorted by the patrol group who found us. They especially glared at Andy, muttering among themselves in their native language because barbarians dislike mages. They only respect physical strength, and they view those who practice casting spells as weak or evil.

Eventually we found the great mead hall tent in the heart of the Reghedmen campsite. It appeared big enough to house over 300 barbarians all at once. As soon as we stepped inside, we finally understood why this place is called the "great mead hall". It is because this place is where a large crowd of barbarians gather to eat and drink! There are dozens of barrels and crates at the far corners of the tent, and there are three rows of 100 foot long wooden tables, each designed for 100 barbarians to sit and feast in each row. Behind the rows of dinner tables is the king's throne, among the cluttered assortment of crates and barrels containing foods and drinks. And sitting in the throne is the recently resurrected barbarian king Wylfdene himself, flanked by seven of his warrior bodyguards. Wylfdene is easily the tallest human I have ever seen, even when he is sitting comfortably in his throne, it is easy to see how tall he would be if he stood up on his feet. His skin is nearly pale from spending almost three months in his grave, his brown hair having many dark streaks, and he wore decrepit but strong looking leather body armor, and his muscular arms proudly displayed his strength, which makes me wonder how can he swing his arms so fast that Roald almost couldn't bring his shield up in time. He has stubble on his face and he seems to have a calm demeanor even though he almost killed Roald a week ago, and his double-bladed war axe rests on the right side of his throne. He calmly watched us as the man with the scarred nose and his patrol group escorted us towards him.

"I announce Wylfdene, blessed and guided by the spirit of Jerrod, once King of the Tribe of the Bear, now King of the Tribe of the Great Wyrm!" The warrior with dark brown hair next to Wylfdene proudly announced to us.

"What...?! They changed the name of my tribe...?!" I heard Gorris whisper to himself in astonishment.

I couldn't understand it either. Why would Wylfdene change the name of his tribe from a bear to a dragon?

"Son of Faynegar the Fearless, slayer of the dwarven spy in single combat with a single stroke of his blade; slayer of the great bear-" the warrior continued on until Wylfdene interrupted him.

"Enough... your words honor me, but they are wasted on these outlanders. They know nothing of our ways and must surely find such things... tedious," Wylfdene said to his bodyguard announcing his accomplishments.

I have to say, Wylfdene has such a calm but strong voice. Not what I expected from a tall, muscular human, I expected him to have a somewhat louder, commanding voice.

"Even though we don't fully understand your ways, Wylfdene, that does not mean we don't wish to hear them. We would be honored to hear more of your deeds," I said.

"Then perhaps at another time you shall. For now, however, I would wish to know why you have come before me," Wylfdene replied.

"Before we tell you, there is something I wish to ask you. Your announcer said that you are blessed and guided by the spirit of Jerrod. What did he mean by that?" Felicia asked.

Wylfdene relaxed further into his throne. "The one known as Wylfdene died and was laid to rest. As his spirit prepared to leave the shell of his body, he had a vision. Jerrod, the savior of old, appeared before him. He asked Wylfdene to join with him. He said that together they could return the tribes to their former glory. It was an honor that Wylfdene could not refuse. I awoke that day. I am neither Wylfdene nor Jerrod, but both joined as one. It is through me that the tribes have come together. And through me, my people shall rule the North once more. Now... I want to know why you have come to me. Speak, outlanders."

"We are delegates from the Ten Towns. They wish to sue for peace," I said.

The entire mead hall fell in silence now.

"I was not aware that our peoples were at war. Perhaps the fact that _savages _have gathered at your doorstep prompted your visit?" Wylfdene asked us.

"With respect, Wylfdene, you killed a scouting party of Clan Battlehammer. Even before that, your tribes have gathered and attacked the Ten Towns before. The people of the Ten Towns do not wish further bloodshed from themselves or your people," I said.

""With respect"?" Wylfdene repeated in amusement. "An interesting word for an outlander to use. Is this the same respect shown to us when the Ten Towns stole our lands?"

"Maybe because of the nomadic nature of the tribes, they didn't know they were taking your land," Andy said.

"Our peoples have known of each other for centuries, outlander. When the Ten Towns decided to settle here, they knew full well what they were doing. You cannot claim ignorance in this affair," Wylfdene countered.

"Even so, the Ten Towns are small settlements, and the tundra is far larger. Surely there is room enough for all to coexist in peace," I reasoned.

Wylfdene raised his eyebrow at my remark. "Room for all? Your _civilization _has spread across Faerun like a plague of locusts. To the east, west, and south, the land reeks with the stench of your cities," he accused, scowling softly. "Here in the north, the land remained pure... until your people discovered the fish of the lakes. Now your pestilence strikes here as well. What new discoveries will lead your people even further into our lands? What other treasures will you steal from us? No, there will be no room for my people here. You will press on, driving us north, until the land ends and the cold kills us."

I couldn't believe what I heard. It seems as if Wylfdene is searching for reasons to continue hostilities, claiming to know what might happen. Sure, there are large cities far south, like Luskan, Neverwinter, Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate, but they are hardly expanding to the point where they have to cut down forests. Chances are the Ten Towns won't do much expanding either. Expansion for them means encroaching upon troll, yeti and remorhaz territories, and they can be very dangerous in a group, and the cold won't kill the Reghedmen tribes, they have survived in these harsh, cold lands for a very long time.

"If that is what ye fear, then ye could formalize a treaty with the Ten Towns, setting limits on any future expansion," Ordmar suggested.

"We have no interest in treaties or in setting limits. Instead we will take back what is rightfully ours. Only then will we be safe," Wylfdene argued.

"So you want to either drive the people of the Ten Towns out, or go to war against them? It is not the intention of the Ten Towns to drive your people away, Wylfdene," I said.

"So you say, outlander, but you know nothing of what you speak. My people have already been driven far from their ancestral lands. One only needs to look at a map to see the truth of my words. Our tribes once roamed freely from the Spine of the World in the south to the Endless Sea in the north. Now, we cannot travel beyond Kelvin's Cairn without your leave. Fully half of our ancestral lands are denied us."

I realized then that the only way for peace is for the Ten Towns to compromise instead of finding common ground with the barbarians.

"What if the Ten Towns were to concede some of the land back to your people? What then?" I asked.

"Gift us with what is rightfully ours to begin with? Why should we accept such a proposal when we can take all of what was ours by force?" Wylfdene asked.

"Because war is a senseless waste of life, Wylfdene. Both your people and the people of the Ten Towns would suffer needlessly. I know full well of what tragedies war can bring. It can tear apart friends and families, and those who survive will want to seek revenge, igniting conflict after conflict. Is that what you want? Why not find some common ground instead?" I replied.

I saw Wylfdene smile then, a sign that he understood and couldn't argue against my reason.

"Well said, outlander. So what common ground should we build this foundation upon? Would trade suffice? No, we are a simple people, with nothing that you would find of value. Cultural ties perhaps? No, we are nomadic in nature and cannot abide the confining cities in which you thrive. Spirituality? No, even now our most holy site, Jerrod's Stone, is denied to us, sealed away beneath an outlander temple."

I stood corrected now, and I was not depressed by that.

"Jerrod's Stone has been sealed away for its own protection," I countered.

"Who better to protect Jerrod's Stone than Jerrod's people, outlander? We, the faithful, should hold that site. Not an outlander temple," Wylfdene argued.

"Outlander temple? Jerrod's stone lies beneath the temple of Tempus. Is he not your deity as well?" I asked incredulously.

"We worship Tempos, not Tempus. Your people have even gone so far as to change His name and deny us even that small link," Wylfdene said with some contempt in his voice.

"Why should the name matter? You can call him Tempos, we can call him Tempus, it won't matter. He is still the same god, and He is still revered by both your people and the people of the Ten Towns. That's common ground each of you have," I said.

"So you feel names and titles have no value, outlander? To us, a name defines us as a people, and carries with it honor and respect- yet you would dare to make light of it, even when a god's name is concerned? You insult us," Wylfdene argued.

I wish I reiterated the fact that he said that a name defines people and their culture, and argued that the Ten Towns should learn to respect the barbarian ways and culture, and the barbarians should respect the culture of the Ten Towns, thereby creating honor and respect between them, but I didn't say it because I realized that he would only twist my meanings again.

"Wylfdene, I've tried to reason with you, but you persist in twisting my words. Is there no way we can bring peace between our peoples?" I asked.

"If I believed you to be a delegate of the Ten Towns that you claim to be, then we could come to terms. However, you are not what you seem, outlander."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Look at you. Are armor and blades the trappings of a diplomat? I think not. It is more likely that you are an assassin sent to slay me, just like the last _delegate_ sent by the Ten Towns. You will find his head outside my tent."

I realized then that even if we were truly diplomats, things would not turn out better, our heads would be hung outside Wylfdene's tent as well. This man is unrelentingly focused on war.

"We are adventurers, not assassins, Wylfdene," I said.

"Then you are a spy sent by the ten Towns to learn of our strengths and weaknesses. In either case, I cannot let either of you leave this tent alive. Not even the traitor," Wylfdene said, referring to Gorris on that last sentence.

"What?" Gorris looked around in confusion.

Just when Wylfdene rose up out of his throne, grabbing his double-bladed axe, Hjollder came to our rescue.

"Stay your hand, mighty Wylfdene. These strangers bear our people no malice- upon my oath. I know this, for it was I who bade them to appear before this council," he said.

Wylfdene set down his axe and crossed his muscular arms.

"I see. Tell me, Hjollder. Why would you do such a thing?"

"Their coming was foretold by a vision. I have been to the other side, great king. The spirits have shown me these heroes and other images that speak the will of Tempos. If Tempos has called these strangers to us, then surely we cannot dishonor ourselves by slaying them within the hallowed halls of Hengorot," Hjollder said.

Wylfdene relaxed his arms, and sat back down on his throne.

"Very well... if it is the will of Tempos, then I will hear more of it. Tell me of your vision, Hjollder. Why are these outlanders among our people?"

I could tell that Hjollder didn't want to tell him we are here to stop a senseless and honorless bloodshed between the Reghedmen and the Ten Towns. There's no telling how Wylfdene would react to that. He might even claim Hjollder's vision as false and accuse him as a traitor.

"I... I do not know. The vision was unclear as to what purpose they must serve, but it must-" Hjollder began to stammer.

"Unclear?" Wylfdene interrupted with a confused scowl. "You dare to stand before me, speak the will of Tempos, and yet you are _unclear _as to what our Lord demands of us?" He asked, raising his voice. "How can you wear the mantle of a _shaman _if His voice does not ring true throughout your very being...?"

Hjollder tried to speak, but Wylfdene immediately cut him off. "I will hear nothing more form you, Hjollder. You have failed your people... and me. From this day forward, you shall be exiled to the Burial Isle. Contemplate your failure until you join with our ancestors. As for these outlanders and the traitor, I will not contest even the flawed vision of a shaman. If it is the will of Tempos that they live, then so be it. Angaar, remove them from my sight!"

Wylfdene signaled two of his bodyguards to escort Hjollder out of the great mead hall.

"Come with me, Hjollder," one of the warriors instructed the disgraced shaman, and they escorted him out. Angaar's patrol group escorted us out of the great mead hall last, but Angaar himself, the man with the scarred nose, stayed behind to speak with Wylfdene for some reason. Whatever that reason is, it gave me a bad feeling.

* * *

As we were escorted toward the campsite's exit, I was walking in between Gorris and Xalorn.

"What the hells is going on here, Jovan? Why did Wylfdene change the name of my tribe from the Tribe of the Bear to the Tribe of the Great Wyrm? What madness is this?" He asked me, the tone of his voice hinting that he is outraged but trying to hold back his outburst.

"I wish I knew, Gorris. I wish I knew," I said.

"I know my people well. If my father and mother were alive, they would be standing against this. What king would deign to change the name of his tribe? The name of our tribe defines who we are. The bear is a strong, ruthless, but noble animal that does not attack unless hungry or provoked. But a white wyrm signifies coldness of the heart and soul. If the king changes the name of our tribe, it could mean that the attributes of the bear does not reflect what is in his personality and heart," Gorris said with brewing anger in his eyes.

I glanced over at Xalorn.

"Xalorn? What do you think of this?" I asked him.

He didn't reply, he didn't even look at me.

a few minutes later, we passed through the open gates, stepping outside of the campsite. Angaar the Brave, who had been following us and his patrol group from behind all this time, closed the gates.

"Hold, outsiders, you'll go no further than this. Wylfdene has ordered your death, and I'm to see it done."

My fears have been realized.

"Why has he ordered our death?" Lysara asked.

"I don't know," Angaar shrugged. "It's not my place to question Wylfdene."

"But is it your place to question the visions of your shaman?" Felicia asked.

"They are the voice of Tempos. Through their visions we know His will. I do not question the will of Tempos," Angaar said.

"The shaman Hjollder saw our coming in a vision. He says we are destined for some greater purpose," I reminded him.

"Yes... I was at the audience when he spoke before Wylfdene," Angaar nodded in agreement.

"If it is the will of Tempos that we serve a greater purpose, then attacking us is tantamount to defying Him," Andy said.

That worked. Angaar looked conflicted now, wondering if he should defy Wylfdene or Tempos.

"I... Hmm... You are free to go, outlanders, and you too, traitor. Leave this place and do not return. I wash my hands of this affair!" He said.

And so we began the long walk back to Lonelywood. The truth is, we felt as lost and confused as Hjollder does. We know that we are meant to do something to stop the imminent war between the Ten Towns and the Reghedmen barbarian tribes, but what? What should we do?


	14. Chapter 14 The Heart of Winter Part 2

The walk back to Lonelywood was long. We got there by nightfall, but along the way, I couldn't shake this feeling that there is something wrong with Wylfdene, that his ill intentions towards the people of Icewind Dale is more personal than he is letting on, and that he is using his own people as a means to an end. Why else would he twist my suggestions, making them sound like insults towards his people? And why would he not be interested in sanctioning future expansions from the Ten Towns? It makes no sense. Coming to a peaceful solution shouldn't be this hard at all. And on top of that, he tried to have his guards to kill us outside the campsite gates even though he clearly said out loud that he would not act against a vision of Tempos even though Hjollder does not clearly understand it. It's not enough to implicate him, but it gives me the feeling that there is more to Wylfdene's desire to war against the Ten Towns than he admits to us and his people.

"Jovan? What's wrong with you?" Felicia asked me.

"Huh?" I snapped out of my thoughts, realizing that I could feel Felicia's right arm wrapped under my left arm. I looked at her and smiled as we continued walking towards Lonelywood just beyond the trees. "Nothing. I'm just... worried about Hjollder, that's all," I admitted to her.

"I don't get it. Hjollder claims to not fully understand the vision, and Wylfdene just... casts him out as a failure," Andy said forlornly.

"That's the mannerism of an impatient king," Ordmar said dryly.

"What can we do? Without Hjollder, we can do nothing," Lysara said when we reached the outskirts of the town, not far from Tybald's house.

"There's only one thing we can do. We go to Burial Island and rescue him," Felicia said.

"How? We don't even know where that is," Andy said in exasperation.

"I do," Gorris declared.

We stopped and turned around to face him, looking somewhat dumbfounded.

"What? Did all of you forget that Xalorn and I was once part of the Tribe of the Bear?" He reminded us.

Andy and I slapped our foreheads in shame.

"I forgot..." I moaned.

"It slipped our minds, Gorris, sorry," Andy apologized.

Gorris shook his head and sighed. "Water under the bridge. Anyway, Burial Isle is a small island located in the middle of Maer Dualdon, the island is a place where disgraced or exiled members of our tribe are sent to die of thirst or starvation. The island is a bleak, desolate place- no crops can be grown there, and the water around the island is obviously too cold to drink or bathe in."

"So all we have to do is go to Burial Isle and rescue Hjollder, plain and simple," Andy stated with confidence.

We resumed moving towards The Windy Gallows Inn.

"Uh, I hate to break it to you, Andy, but I don't think this rescue mission will be that simple," Xalorn said pessimistically.

Andy looked back at him with a confused frown. "What do you mean?"

We reached the door now, and I stepped ahead, opening the door for us to step inside.

"I mean that once we rescue Hjollder, we will still be stuck on square one. When we rescue him, where do we go from there? We can't return to the barbarian camp," Xalorn explained while we stepped inside the inn, welcomed by the warm air and sweet scent of cooking meat.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there, Xalorn. Right now, we need to rescue Hjollder, he is our only link to Tempus's prophecy about our role in stopping this imminent war," I assured him, pulling down the hood of my cloak off from over my head.

It didn't take long for Kieran to notice us, and we didn't see Murdaugh at the bar with him this time.

"My friends! It is good to see the barbarians haven't killed any of you and set your heads on pikes," he said excitedly.

"It's a long story to tell, Kieran, but we aren't in the mood to tell it, yet," I explained as we approached the bar.

"I'm surprised to see ye didn't do an' get yerself killed," Roald said to me, sitting where I last saw him this morning.

"Tymora was with us, I believe," I replied.

"We're nothin' if not resilient, friend," Ordmar shrugged at Roald.

"We'd like to rent six rooms, please," I said, giving Kieran five gold pieces and two silver pieces when we reached the bar.

"All right, that's sufficient enough. Your rooms are upstairs," Kieran said, giving each of us keys to our rooms, but Felicia is sharing a room with me, since we have become a loving couple.

* * *

We slept peacefully that night, and at the break of dawn, I woke up to notice that Felicia woke up before I did, she is no longer resting beside me. I stood up, wondering where she went to, and I looked out the window with a perfect view of the lake Maer Dualdon.

"I see you are finally awake," I heard Felicia's voice say to me close by.

I tuned my head just in time to see her leap into the bed with me and wrap her arms around my nek and kiss my nose. I couldn't help but chuckle.

'You're in an awfully good mood today. Where have you been?" I asked.

"In the bathroom. I suddenly felt sick," she said.

I blinked in confusion. "If you're sick, you should go se a cleric or something," I suggested with worry.

Felicia giggled and shook her head. "No, I don't mean I'm sick with a disease. I was sick for a different reason."

I felt more confused than ever now. "What... What do you mean? What else could make you sick other than a sickness or disease?" I asked cluelessly.

Felicia smiled at me, her eyes beaming brightly.

"Can't you take a hint?" She winked at me.

"Uh..." I felt at a loss of words, I had no idea what she is hinting at. But I didn't need to ask, she was going to tell me, and by Silvanus's grace, it shocked me.

"... I'm pregnant."

Once she said that, I felt my brain immediately grow numb. My mouth dropped open, and my heart started racing a little faster than normal.

"Uh... Wha... Really...?" I managed to say.

"Isn't it amazing? We are going to have a child!" Felicia smiled so wide, the edges of her lips curved almost up towards her eyes.

I forced myself to smile too. "That... that's great, dear! But... this is all so sudden, I... I never planned on becoming a father..."

"I never planned on becoming a mother either, but we must adapt to this sudden change in our lives,' Felicia replied.

We climbed out of the bed ang got dressed out of our pajamas into our clothes and body armor.

"is it a boy or girl?" I asked my lover while pulling my short on over my head.

"It's too early to say. In my third month, I'll visit a cleric and find out," she replied.

I shook my head while putting on my +2 leather body armor. "... *Whew*, I still can't wrap my head around all this. Gorris, Andy and Ordmar are going to be amazed when they hear about this," I said.

Sure enough, when we regrouped with everyone in the barroom of the inn, sitting at a vacant table, we told them everything.

"What?!" Lysara exclaimed.

"I should have seen this coming. Congrats, Jovan, you're gonna be a daddy," Andy gave me a congratulations pat on my back.

I remember I was drinking some ale at that moment, and I wasn't paying much attention to him.

"And that would make you the uncle," I joked without looking at him.

'Me? An uncle? Heh, that's nice of you to think of me that way, even though we aren't related," Andy smiled.

"It's great that you're going to be a father and all, Jovan, but we need to focus on the task at hand. How are we going to get to Burial Isle? We don't have a boat," Gorris said.

"I know someone who does," Kieran called out, apparently eavesdropping in on our conversation since we are the only visitors awake at this hour.

We all glanced over to him, and I smiled.

"Kieran, you're a life saver!" I smiled approvingly.

Kieran nodded back at me before speaking again. "Near the shore of the lake, there is a boathouse. Go there, and maybe Thom Farold, or his son Ned can help you get to the island, if they are willing to help you. Normally they make small boats built for one person, but rumor is that Thom is building a boat big enough to carry a dozen fishermen at once."

We immediately stood up from our chairs.

"Thank you for the information, Kieran, we really appreciate it," Andy said to him, following us out the inn.

"Pray to Tymora for good luck, you'll need it," Kieran said before we disappeared out the door.

We headed west towards the boathouse at the shore of the lake. Along the sides of the boathouse are many other boats, canoe sized boats, not big enough to hold all of us. So we needed to go inside the boathouse, speak to Thom or Ned and find out if that big boat they are working on will be finished anytime soon.

We saw one man climb down a ladder from the boathouse, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, he turned around and noticed us and waved at us with a friendly smile. He seems to be in his late 30's black hair short and high cut, and he wore plain clothing, nothing fashionable about it.

"Har, mateys!" He greeted us in the stereotypical pirate accent. "How ye be doing? The name's Ned. Young Ned. I be the sharpest sailor 'round these parts. Who be ye?"

"I be... *ahem*, I mean, my name is Jovan, and that's Felicia, Andy, Lysara, Ordmar, Gorris and Xalorn. What do you do around here, Young Ned?"

"I row boats out in the great Maer Dualdon," Ned replied, pointing his left thumb back at canoe boats lined up near the lake's edge behind him. "I keeps me eye open for rocks and ice under the water. Some say I be the best sailor in Icewind Dale since me old Uncle."

I looked over at the larger boat that Thom is visibly working on, hammering a nail into the wood.

"That's a nice boat over there," I said.

Young Ned glanced back to see what I was talking about, and after he saw that his biggest boat caught my eye, he smiled at me.

"Oh, that be Selara. Me pa, Thom, named her after his dear dead wife. He'll be finished with her by tomorrow. If ye want, next sunrise I can take ye out on the lake in her," Young Ned said.

"Sounds like a deal. And when that day, comes, could you take us to the Burial Isle?" I asked.

"Aye!" Ned immediately said, then suddenly his eyes momentarily widened when he realized what we suggested. "Wait, no!" He tried to say, then he suddenly started choking on his own spit. "*cough, cough, cough*... What ye be wantin' to go out there for?! Only the dead be on that isle, and they ain't moved on just yet, if ye get me meaning."

"It's very important that we go there, Young Ned, despite the dangers there," I insisted.

"Fine, I suppose I can take ye there. Be ready fer tomorrow, 'cause we're leavin' at the break 'o dawn," Ned said.

"We'll be ready," I promised, then we left, heading back to the Whistling Gallows Inn.

We spent the entire day at the inn, chatting with Kieran, Murdaugh and Roald. During that time, we learned the history of the inn, about, about how Skeld was originally the owner of this inn and punished troublemakers with his brutality as a half human half ogre and hanging their corpses on the dead tree outside to discourage would-be troublemakers from causing any trouble in the tavern. Murdaugh claimed that adventurers and visitors had a hard time sleeping hearing the whistling wind blow against the corpses hanging on the dead tree. Though Skeld kept his tavern safe, many people feared him because of his methods of punishing drunk, crazy men who caused trouble. That was how I learned about the origins of the Whistling Gallows inn, from speaking to Kieran and Murdaugh back then.

* * *

The next morning we immediately ate a good breakfast, pancakes, bacon and eggs cooked by Kieran himself. Unfortunately, Felicia and I didn't sleep very well because we were next door to a room rented by a young human adventurer from Byrn Shander who agreed to give Ambere Dunn, Tybald's wife, enough gold to last at least two tendays if she agreed to... "sleep" with him. Gods, they were noisy that night! Before I ate breakfast with my group, I managed to speak to Ambere personally, and I don't understand how a man can tolerate sleeping with a woman whose body reeks of alcohol. I learned that Ambere hates Tybald as much as her daughter does. The reason why she is like this, sleeping with other men is because she hates living in a cold town like Lonelywood, she hates Tybald and the fact that he convinced her to live in Icewind Dale with him under the pretense of having a "bright future" so he can make a few copper pieces being a cooper, which is hardly enough to support a family, and she is willing to sleep with other men if they give her enough money to buy food, drinks and new clothes, or better, transportation south back to Luskan, or Neverwinter, somewhere warm. This isn't the life she wanted, and she was willing to escape from it even if it meant sleeping with a garrison of men, but I convinced her to give Tybald a second chance, make amends with her family. She was reluctant at first, but she gave in and left the inn to have a talk with Tybald and see if they can work things out.

When we left the inn, we headed straight towards the boathouse, and found Young Ned and his father Thom out at the edge of the pier near the oat they just recently finished building. The boat is 13 feet long and 7 feet wide feet tall. Young Ned saw us coming and he waved to us.

"Ahoy there, mateys!" He called out to us.

"Morning, Young Ned! I see you're well rested," I said when I got close enough to shake his hand.

"Aye, a sailor needs a good rest to be out and about! This here be my father, Thom Farold," Young Ned introduced us.

"So you're the foolhardy bunch who wants to go to Burial Isle, yes?" Thom asked us.

"Yes, sir. It's a matter of-" Andy began to say.

"I don't need any of the details. There are smart fools in the world, and no fool goes to a dangerous place without a good reason. It don't change the fact that ye're all fools, but I get the feelin' ye're putting yer lives at risk for a reason," Thom said, scratching his thick gray beard.

"Well... that's putting it mildly..." Goris scratched his forehead.

"Let's get movin' mateys! We're burnin' daylight!" Young Ned exclaimed enthusiastically, climbing into the boat.

We climbed in after him, and I got my first experience on how it feels being on a boat. It feels like being on unsteady ground. Even though your feet are standing on hard, wooden floorboards, you can still feel the boat gently rocking on the water, it is a disorienting feeling. There were planks that we can sit down on, fortunately. Young Ned grabbed a paddle and looked back at us.

"What's the matter, Jovan?" Andy asked me, noticing my discomfort.

"Nothing... Just never been on a boat before," I replied, silently hoping that I don't get seasick.

"Ready to go, mateys?" He asked us.

"Yeah!" We exclaimed all at once.

"All right, here we go!" Young Ned exclaimed, then he started dipping the paddle into the water and pushing it forward, alternating from left and right to keep the boat moving forward instead of turning left or right.

In less than six seconds, we were already away from the boathouse going out into the lake.

"This is fun- I've never been on a boat before!" Lysara exclaimed.

"... Just don't get all excited and make the boat tip over, okay, Lysara?' Gorris groaned nervously, afraid of the thought of falling into cold waters.

Two hours later, when I looked back, I couldn't see the shore of Lonelywood anymore. Four hours later, I started to feel uncomfortable being surrounded by water. I tried to enjoy the ride, but I had a little difficulty, and we were heading straight into a fog.

"Uh... Ned...?" I called to him in concern.

"Stay calm, mateys. We must be careful not to hit anything solid," Young Ned said, the tone of his voice low with seriousness.

He rowed through the fog slowly and carefully, dipping his paddle into the water less frequently to slow the boat's speed. We journeyed through the fog for six minutes until we heard and felt the noise of the boat's underbelly scraping more than a billion grains of sand down below.

"Oh! We must have made it!" Young Ned exclaimed, then he put his paddle down towards the shallow water to anchor the boat before we reached dry land.

"Hey! Why aren't you moving?" Xalorn demanded.

"Sorry, matey, but we've reached Burial Isle, and this is as far as I can go. You'll have t' walk to dry land from here. And if none of ye are back in one hour, I'll assume all of ye are dead and I'll leave," Yound Ned said.

"For the love of...! Ah, I'm gonna get my feet wet..." Andy moaned in displeasure.

We climbed out the boat and planted our feet in shallow ground. We could feel the water at our ankles, soaking into our boots and wetting our feet. We trudged through shallow water towards dry land, and as we did, we heard Young Ned using his paddle to push his boat further back towards deeper shallow water.

"He better not leave us..." Ordmar said.

"He won't," I assured him.

As soon as we reached dry land, we were out of the fog. When we looked around, we noticed that we are in the middle of a desolate beach, and further ahead beyond the beach up on the small rise of a hill, there seems to be a patch of grass where the sand ends. We walked across the beach towards its end at the small hill up ahead, and when our wet boots touched the first small blades of dead grass, we saw nothing but a vast field of dead grass the color of wheat, and littered across the field is what looks like more than a dozen straw and hide huts leading underground. The dead grassland isn't completely flat ground either, there are small hills here and there, but no trees. And we could also hear the wind faintly blowing towards our faces, and among it, we heard the faint angered screams of the undead coming from underground.

"What is that...?" Lysara asked in bewilderment, readying her bow and arrows for some kind of attack.

"The spirits of my dead ancestors. Normally they are supposed to guard this island from grave robbers, but something doesn't feel right. They are angry for some reason," Gorris said, trying to piece together what little he knew about this site.

We walked across the field for several yards, passing by hut after hut, holding our weapons ready in case undead might appear and attack us, and we eventually realized that these huts possibly lead to the underground grave sites of the deceased kings of for thousands of generations. Problem is, we need to find the right hut to enter, one that is likely where Hjollder must be, asking the restless spirits for clarity of his vision from Tempos. We found randomly chose to check one hut belonging to the Tribe of the Bear nearby us, believing it may lead down to the barrow of the deceased Tribe of the Bear kings for the past 300 years, and the sound of angry undead spirits filled our ears slightly louder now.

"I don't think it's a good idea that we should go down there," Lysara said fearfully.

"We can't hesitate! Hjollder might be down there!" I said, peering into the dark entrance.

"Down there, where the screaming ghosts are? Uh-uh, I think I'll pass," Lysara shook her head while backing away from us slowly.

Before she could try to run away, Xalorn grabbed her by her right arm, causing her to yelp in surprise, then he pulled her back towards us.

We entered the hut and descended down the stairs underground. I let Andy take the lead with me and use his Light cantrip spell to give us some light. The sounds of angry, screaming ghosts grew steadily louder in our ears as we descended down the stone stairs. Eventually, we made our way to the bottom, in a large underground cavern complex with hundreds of grave caskets made of solid stone. Andy didn't need to continue using his Light cantrip spell because from the ceiling of the cavern, there are several holes allowing sunlight to beam down into the cavern, giving it enough light for us to see everything. We weren't alone, either. We found the source of the incoherent screaming that haunts the island. We saw the spirits of virgin barbarian women flying all over the room, crying in despair or agony over something, and we noticed that one of the caskets is open, the fourth casket from the left in the fourth row of graves, and three of the barbarian women spirits were standing over the open casket, crying and sobbing. But we saw no sign of Hjollder here, but we were curious to learn about the anguish of these long deceased virgin women.

"Something is wrong," Gorris said gravely. "I think that's Wylfdene's casket over there. These spirits should be overjoyed that Jerrod's spirit merged with Wylfdene's, but they are not. Why?"

"Let's go find out," Felicia suggested.

We slowly made our way towards Wylfdene's open casket and the ghosts around it, being careful not to let the crying souls think that we are here to rob their long deceased kings of their belongings that have been buried with them. I noticed that some of the spirits were crying about their appearance as ghosts. I think I recall hearing one of them say among the cacophony of cries:

"My beautiful hair! What has become of it?"

We only managed to get to the third row of lined up caskets before one of the spirits of the virgin women near Wylfdene's casket turned her head towards our direction and noticed us. She did not respond warmly to our presence, as expected.

"Tainted outlanders, leave this place at once! Your presence defiles the already corrupted barrow of my lord, Wylfdene!" She hissed at us angrily, her eyeless sockets glowing from cyan to crimson.

"Who are you?" I asked her.

"Who am I?!" She repeated in outrage. "Know this, desecrator, I am Mebdinga, formerly of the Bear Tribe, sacrificed to attend the great chieftain Wylfdene in his afterlife! Now leave this place at once!"

"What happened here?" Felicia asked the troubled spirit.

"Our lord and master, Wylfdene, has risen from the sleep of death, the sleep from which no man should awaken. His rising compelled us to return to the Burial Isle," Mebdinga replied.

"Wait, I don't understand. You should be overjoyed that your lord has come back from the dead, but you are not. Why?" I asked.

"It was not his spirit that had taken control of his body. It was a poisoned soul... corrupt..." Mebdinga said, her voice trailing off at the thought of who had taken over Wylfdene's body.

This is getting very interesting. We had been told by Wylfdene himself that he is both Jerrod and Wylfdene's soul merged together, but now it turns out to be a big fat lie. If a foreign spirit has indeed taken over Wylfdene's body, then that must be the reason why Mebdinga and the other souls of virgin women are so upset. But what did she mean about the soul being poisoned? Does she mean poisoned as in injected by venom, or poisoned as in made irrational and violent by the desire for revenge...?

"LEAVE NOW!" Mebdinga snapped suddenly, snapping me out of my deep thoughts. "No more questions! You must depart immediately or face the wrath of this tomb's guardians!"

"Very well, we shall depart," I promised, then we left the barrow heading back upstairs, seeing that obviously Hjollder is not here.

However, before I went up the stairs, I felt my right boot step on something solid. Lifting my boot up, I saw that I have stepped on a large metal disk on a set of chain links wide enough to be worn around a person's neck. I picked up the object and took it upstairs with me.

When we made it back to the surface, we decided to head to the northern part of the island... At least in the direction we believe is north, we didn't exactly have a compass with us. As we walked, I examined the object more. The metal disk features the symbol of Wylfdene's tribe, but the symbol has been deliberately defaced with a sharp object, like a knife or something.

"What's that you got there, Jovan?" Andy walked alongside me, looking at Wylfdene's tribal insignia in my hand.

"Oh, this? Something I found in the barrow before we left. I think it belonged to Wylfdene, it was near the stairs as if he deliberately tore it off his person," I said.

"Hmm... Interesting. Keep it with you, Jovan. We might need it later," Andy suggested.

* * *

After 20 minutes of walking through the seemingly endless grass field, seeing and hearing nothing but wailing spirits angry about Wylfdene's body being controlled by a foreign spirit, we saw a silhouette on top of the largest hill we've seen on this island so far.

"Hey. Is that...?" Andy pointed up at the figure in a sitting position atop the hill.

"That might be," Xalorn said with relief.

We went up the hill until we reached the top and found Hjollder with his back turned on us, meditating peacefully.

"Uh... Hjollder..." I called to him.

I saw his head move, but not his body, which means he must have heard me call him.

"What's this? More spirits come to torment my treasonous heart? Be gone, vengeful ghosts! Allow me to endure my shame in peace," Hjollder pleaded.

I felt sorry for Hjollder. His faith in Tempos' vision has been completely shaken by Wylfdene to the point that he believes that he has been dishonest and disloyal to his king.

"We are not ghosts, Hjollder. It's us, the heroes you saw in Tempos' vision, remember?" I called.

At that moment, Hjollder stood up and turned to face us. When he saw us, his mouth dropped open in shock.

"How can this be? Wylfdene expelled you from the camp. Your quest was over before it began. Why have you come to this place?" He asked us.

"Wylfdene did more than expel us... he tried to have us killed!" Xalorn exclaimed.

"Yeah! Even though he said that he would not contest the flawed vision of a shaman," Andy added, backing up Xalorn.

Hjollder nodded solemnly. "Please... try not to judge my people so harshly," he begged to us. "It was my foolishness that put your lives in danger. It is only right that I remain exiled here... until death frees me."

Gorris marched forward towards Hjollder, placed both hands on his weary shoulders, looked him straight in the eyes and said:

"We are not going to let you die here. We've come a long way to find you. There are questions in our quest that remain unanswered and we believe you might be able to answer them. We are not about to just give up and go home. You're just going to lay down and die because your "king" says so? What about Tempos' vision?"

Hjollder sighed. "The vision does not matter anymore. My fate has been decreed by Wylfdene. An honest man accepts all judgments of his chosen king."

"Even from false kings? What if we were to tell you Wylfdene isn't who he claims to be?" I stepped forward next to Gorris.

Hjollder's eyes opened wide and he stared directly at me even though Gorris stood closer to him than me.

"What? The king is false? How is this known to you?" He asked me.

"We have spoken with one of the spirits of this island, a woman named "Magdina", or something like that. She told us that the spirit that inhabits Wylfdene's body is not Wylfdene or Jerrod, but a spirit that is corrupted by evil," I explained.

Hjollder began to nod, stroking his beard in thought.

"Yes... I see. It is this corruption that has placed the spirits in turmoil. These visions I have had of late are the manifestations of their anguish. However, I fear I have risked too much already based upon the word of spirits. If I am to act against my king, I must have proof."

I should have seen this coming. I should have known that Hjollder would be reluctant to act against Wylfdene even if we told him about the foreign spirit using Wylfdene's body. Hjollder is loyal to both Tempos and Wylfdene, and being branded as disloyal shaman has filled Hjollder's heart with doubt. The only way to break him free of that doubt is to give him proof.

'Where can we find such proof?" Felicia asked.

"If the soul that inhabits Wylfdene's body is indeed corrupt, then perhaps it may have left signs of its passing within the tomb of the dead king," Hjollder explained.

"You mean something like this?" I showed Hjollder Wylfdene's tribal amulet. "I found it near the stairs of the barrow where all kings of the Tribe of the Bear have been buried. Wylfdene must have tore it off after he climbed out of his casket," I said.

Hjollder gasped softly and took the tribal insignia into his hands.

"This is Wylfdene's tribal insignia. Such chains are worn by the kings of my people and are considered the most precious of worldly possessions," he explained to us.

"So? What does that mean?" Lysara asked.

"It means no true tribesman would dare to deface so sacred an object. If Wylfdene is responsible for this desecration, then it is _not _the spirit of Jerrod that now inhabits his body," Hjollder said with certainty.

"If not Jerrod, then who?" Ordmar asked.

"This I do not know," Hjollder replied with a defeated shrug. "Even in my visions, the face of the king is obscured... almost as if my vision is opposed."

"So you can't help us find out what we should do next?" Xalorn asked.

"Is there someone else you know who can help us?" Gorris asked.

"I'm not sure. I... Wait. There is one who might help us in our quest. If legend holds true, she may be able to see this soul for what it truly is," Hjollder said.

"Who is this person you speak of?" I asked, feeling a little hopeful.

"She is known as the Gloomfrost Seer. She was once a powerful channeler of spirits that lived among the Tribe of the Elk. The legend says that her gift of sight was so great it turned her eyes to dust. It is said that she fled north, to dwell within the darkness of the Gloomfrost," Hjollder explained.

"What is the Gloomfrost?" I asked.

"The Gloomfrost lies far to the northeast, beyond the Reghed Glacier. It is an ancient place, as old as the world itself. The tales of my people say that the Gloomfrost marks the place where the sun was expelled from the womb of Toril when she was still a young mother," Hjollder continued.

I never understood what he meant by that. How could Toril, our world, birth the sun trillions of years ago? I won't read too deep into it, but my parents always used to tell me that there is a bit of truth in legends.

"It is said that the heat of the infant sun scarred the glacier as it fled to the sky, turning the ice black as night and casting the surrounding land into darkness," Hjollder concluded.

"Huh. Sounds like a cheerful place. How do we find it?" Andy asked.

"Go northeast from Lonelywood until you pass by Kelvin's Cairn, then head east until you reach the Reghed Glacier. The journey there will be long, so I suggest you be well equipped for the journey, and keep in mind that it is a place where the sun dares not to shine. Make haste in your journey, but beware... the guardians of the Gloomfrost protect the Seer from the intrusions of man. Only those who prove themselves worthy shall be granted her wisdom," Hjollder explained.

"Okay. We'll make for the Gloomfrost without delay," I nodded.

"What will you do in the meantime?" Gorris asked with curiosity.

Hjollder gave him a small smile. "I shall defy banishment and rest in Lonelywood in secret until you return. When you come back, I will return to the camp in secret when you are ready to go directly to the mead hall and demand an audience with Wylfdene. Together, we shall expose him and put an end to his evil."

"Well said, Hjollder. Until we meet again," Gorris nodded approvingly, then we left him, going back down the hill and making the long walk back to where Young Ned is waiting for us.

* * *

As we rode on the boat with Young Ned back to the shores of Lonelywood, I pondered about the long, perilous journey ahead of us. We will need to prepare to go to the coldest parts of Icewind Dale to reach the Seer, and there will likely be yetis, ice trolls, and worse, remorhazes, which I had yet to see. We reached the shores of of Lonelywood five hours after highsun, meaning it will be evening in a couple hours, so we took the time to prepare for the long journey.

Obtaining enough food and drink to last us for five weeks out in the frozen wastelands was not easy. We asked Kieran to give each of us rucksacks and pack in eight apples and mangos, 17 pounds of sliced ham, 30 slices of bread, and 10 bottles of ale for our journey, which was understandably a tall order. We had to wait five days for our order to be met, and Lysara and I had to refill our stock of crossbow bolts and arrows, something we have not done ever since our fight against Belhifet, and Kieran let us browse in his secret stash of items, and we bought a few healing potions and magic scrolls containing spells that would be useful for Andy to learn and memorize. And as soon as we were packed and ready for our journey, we set off away from Lonelywood going northeast through the forests surrounding Lonelywood, and passing through Bremen's Run, but not heading towards Wylfdene's camp, so we were never waylaid by patrolling groups of barbarians. Six days later we were 50 miles away from Lonelywood, but we still kept going northeast. We were waylaid by a pack of winter wolves a few times, but nothing we can't handle.

Four days later we reached the parts of Icewind Dale where Kelvin's Cairn does not block the cold winds blowing down from the Reghed Glacier, meaning we are past the shielding range of the mountain peak, so we changed direction slightly and headed directly east to reach the Reghed Glacier. We were weary from the cold and carrying heavy rucksacks full of food and drink with us, but our thick cloaks protected us from the harsh cold. I wasn't enjoying this at all, and neither was Andy, but we stowed our urge to bellyache and moved on. I felt glad to have Xalorn around. As an expert tracker he knew how to spot signs that we were getting close to yeti territory and direct us to change our course to go around the territory so we won't be force to fight a tribe of yetis, a fight we cannot win. What worried me the most is the possibility of facing a remorhaz. From what I recall Felicia telling me about them when I first met her and Gorris, Xalorn and Andy, she made them sound like terrifying creatures. I'm not a cowardly person, but I dread the thought of encountering a creature that is big enough to swallow you whole.

On the 15th day since our departure from Lonelywood, we finally reached the Reghed Glacier. The location is beautiful, but the winds are so cold, I had to keep my arms inside my coat. And trying to eat a chilled apple or mango whenever we got hungry was inconvenient, because eating cold fruit always made our brain feel numb briefly, as if it had been frozen. Along the way through the glacier, we fought a few dire wolves that tried to ambush us, partially camouflaged by the snowy climate, especially when we stopped to make camp, even dire bears tired to attack us once in a while, but they were no match for us, especially when Andy uses his Haste spell on us to give us the advantage. The only downside is once the spell wears off, we become tired and fatigued from being hasted, especially with a heavy rucksack of food and drinks on our backs, so we would have to rest for several hours, and sometimes, but not all the time, lone winter wolves try to attack us, believing us to be easy prey. At least we were never ambushed by a hunting party of trolls, frost giants or yetis.

Several days have passed since we first arrived at the Reghed Glacier, and I lost track of how many days it has been since we left Lonelywood, and already my hands and feet are steadily becoming numb by the cold. But if it weren't for the thick cloaks we are wearing, we would be frozen to death by several tendays of harsh blizzards. That's the thing I hate about blizzards, you can barely see what is 17 feet ahead of you. Luckily we didn't run into any hostile creatures, but we really needed to find some shelter and rest. A few hours later, fortunately, we found a cavern, but it was inhabited by a family of polar bears. We had to kill them to sleep safely in the cavern, but we didn't have the heart to kill the three cubs though. We left them alive to use as alarms in case something like a yeti or winter wolf tries to come in the cavern while we were asleep. It was a good thing we did that, because many hours later after we fell asleep, we heard the terrified squeals of one of the polar bear cubs, and we woke up to find two dire wolves attacking them. Fortunately we managed to save two of the cubs, but we couldn't stay in the cavern and protect them. When we were ready, we left the cavern and continued onward to find the Gloomfrost, leaving the cubs to die of starvation or thirst, without their parents alive to take care of them. I feel bad for leaving them like that, but there is little we could do for them.

I remember one night, the next several days later, we were walking toward a mountain with two peaks, one peak a few inches taller than the other. Actually, it was not nighttime. We thought it was, because the area around that mountain peak is as shadowy and dark as the Vale near Kuldahar back in the Spine of the World. When I looked up, I saw the sun shining from behind a thick veil of clouds, but the sunlight couldn't beam down on the area that we are in. That was when I realized that we have probably found the Gloomfrost after many weeks of searching.

"This place reminds me of the Vale," Andy said out loud.

"Yeah. The only difference is I don't feel on edge," Xalorn said.

As if on cue, five trolls jumped up out of the snow about 18 yards away from us to the west and started coming towards us.

"Ah, damn it. you just had to say that," Andy groaned, then he dug into his pockets to hold some sulfur in his hands, then he prepared to cast the Fireball spell.

He sent the fireball flying towards the trolls, and it exploded on them, engulfing them all in fire. The trolls shrieked and wailed in pain as the fire cooked their skin, rendering their natural healing ability useless. It didn't take long for them to collapse dead, their skin burnt black.

"Nice job, Andy. Their cooked bodies will certainly attract a pack of winter wolves. We better get moving," Gorris said, giving Andy a pat on his back.

Andy was unsure if that was a compliment or not, but he shrugged with indifference, deciding to take it as a compliment and move on with us.

As we drew closer to the twin peak mountain, we found ourselves wandering through a canyon, not unlike the Vale back in the Spine of the World. The canyon seemed to be designed like a maze, taking us above ground and a few feet below ground level with icy walls around us, and the dark gray sky high above us. And we had to fight several ice trolls along the way. The strange thing is, they don't look like a hunting party of carnivorous trolls, it seems like they are here for another reason, like they are guarding something or someone. And that's not the strangest part. A few minutes later, Andy saw something that made us all think he was going crazy. When were following the canyon trail below surface level with the icy walls around us, Andy was looking around at the walls, admiring their beautiful structure... until he saw a huge eyeball on the ice wall to our left, looking straight at him. The eyeball had an emerald green colored iris, and seeing it look at him made Andy gasp loud enough for us to hear him.

"What the hell...?!" We heard him say. We turned around and saw him rub his eyes with both of his hands, and he gazed up once again at the wall.

"What is it, Andy?" Ordmar asked him.

"Look! Look up there! I saw an eye looking down at us from there!" He pointed up at the wall.

But when we looked up at the wall, we saw nothing but the frozen formation of the ice wall.

"... Uh, Andy, are you okay there?" Felicia asked him skeptically.

"Did you drink a full bottle of mead a while ago?" Gorris asked him.

Andy shook his head in frustration. "No! I never drink mead, and I am _not_ going crazy! I saw a big green eyeball up there looking down at us for a second before it disappeared!" He insisted with frustration.

We still didn't believe him.

"Uh... yeah. Sure. Just lay off the mead and try to sober up, okay?" I suggested in a skeptical manner.

We kept moving forward, and I could hear Andy angrily muttering to himself.

As we drew closer to the base of the mountain with two peaks, we fought several more ice trolls, and as luck would have it, when we reached the base of the mountain, we found a cavern entrance leading into the mountain. This is not a small, human sized cavern entrance. It is big enough for a frost giant to come in and out of!

"Something tells me we should go in here," I said.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Andy stated, just barely above a whisper.

We cautiously entered the cavern, and when we were inside, we found that this cavern is unlike any we have ever seen before. I mean, the walls are made of pure, reflective ice, and on some of the icy cavern walls, we saw many variants of the color blue mixed with the icy cyan color of the cavern walls around us! It reminded me of an aurora, polar lights that I've seen up in the sky at night frequently in Icewind Dale.

"Whoa...!" Andy gasped in awe.

"Wow! Pretty colors!" Lysara exclaimed in wonderment.

"This is why blue is my favorite color," Felicia smiled.

Beautiful colors aside, I noticed that the cavern is filled with big and small holes here and there.

"Watch your step, everyone. There's not telling what we'll run into here," I said.

We continued deeper into the cavern, following the winding tunnels, admiring the blue-cyan-navy blue colored walls around us, and avoiding the small and medium sized holes everywhere. We heard the distant sound of an animal roaring deep inside the cavern, but we didn't know what could have made that sound. After we made it past a zigzagging part of the cavern's tunnel which slightly sloped downwards, we saw animal bones at the corner of the room.

"I don't think we should be here," Andy said nervously.

"Chin up, lad, we're gonna be fine," Ordmar assured him.

We heard more roars, but they sound oddly distant, yet near.

There's no doubt, I felt a little nervous too, holding my loaded crossbow in my hand made me feel a little safe.

We wandered through the cavern for four minutes until we heard Andy cry wolf again.

"Ah!" He cried out in shock.

"We turned around immediately.

"What happened?!" I demanded.

"I saw the face of an old woman emerge from that wall over there for a few seconds, then melt back into it!" He exclaimed.

All of us moaned in displeasure.

"Oh, for the love of Silvanus, Andy, this again?" I groaned. "Are you going crazy or something?"

"I am not crazy! I am not drunk, and you know it!" Andy said angrily, coming close to me and putting his face close to mine at the point we looked each other straight in the eyes.

"Calm down, Andy. It could be the paranoia seeping into you," I said.

"Have you ever considered there might be a magic spell at work here? Maybe the Seer is testing your fears, you could be affected by that certain spell and are seeing things that are an illusion," Felicia said.

Andy shook his head vehemently in denial.

_"_I_ know an illusion when I see one, damn_ _it!" _He snapped. "I am not paranoid, I am not going insane! I just don't understand why none of you don't believe me! You know what? To prove that I am not paranoid, I'll move on ahead of you."

Then Andy began moving on ahead of us into the first chamber of the cavern. The chamber is big enough to hold hundreds of people, and I saw many holes on the walls. Andy was backing his way towards the chamber ahead while facing us, unaware of what is behind him, if there were anything behind him.

"Andy, that is unnecessary," I said as we followed him towards the chamber's center.

"It is necessary, Jovan. You want to test me? Well, I will gladly accept your test to prove that no spell has twisted my mind," Andy said adamantly.

"Turn around, Andy. Look at what you're backing into," Gorris warned him.

"Nope, nope, nope, you can't talk me out of this, Gorris, my mind is made up. I am going deeper into this cave without seeing what I'm getting into, and as you can see, no spell has twisted my mind with fear. My mind is clear and uncompromised," Andy sad triumphantly.

We were serious about him turning around. He was about to step in something in the center of the chamber that we will regret.

"Andy! Seriously, stop and turn around right now before its too late!" I demanded urgently.

"No! You forced my hand, Jovan, so I'll- whoa!" Andy felt his body bump into something but he couldn't stop himself from going backwards in time and he lost his footing, fell back into a sitting position on the large object he backed into and as soon as his rear end touched it, the object broke apart with a loud *CRACK!*

He looked down and saw that he fell back on an egg. A big egg. He stumbled into a cache of eggs that are as big and tall as an adult dog. But what animal do those eggs belong to?

"Uh-oh. Mama is going to be pretty angry at me..." Andy moaned, trying to stand back up on his feet, his robes and rucksack partially wet with yolk adding a bit more heavy weight on his body.

At that moment, we knew we were in serious trouble, we could feel it. We disturbed a nest, and soon we are likely going to see which type of animal those eggs belong to.

"Oh no... we are in serious trouble..." Felicia said.

As if on cue, we felt the ground vibrating at our feet for several seconds.

We looked around, expecting a monster to pop up somewhere. Then from the big hole in the southeastern corner of the chamber about 50 feet away from us, a giant ice-blue colored centipede looking monster with a glowing red back and red horns along its back and leathery wings close to its head that are obviously not capable of making it fly emerged from the hole and looked around. Its insect-like head has two grayish white eyes above its gaping maw lined with dozens of razor sharp teeth, and the rest of its body seem to be partially obscured by the tunnel it came out of, hinting that it could be 30 or 40 feet long. This happened to be the very first remorhaz I have personally seen.

"Guys... we are in deep trouble. We have disturbed a remorhaz nest," Felicia said nervously.

I said nothing, my eyes glued on the remorhaz. The creature looked beautiful and dangerous both at the same time.

When it saw us near its eggs, it snarled and let out an angry shriek.

"We got to run! Fighting that thing is not an option!" Ordmar exclaimed.

"Quick! Make haste!" Andy exclaimed, then he cast the Haste spell on all of us, and we quickly ran towards the other passage out of the room, and just in time, because the first remorhaz we saw was screeching to call its brethren into the room from other holes. Thanks to the Haste spell, we quickly left the chamber through the opposite passage, but the very bad news is we have four or five remorhazes chasing after us, and if we didn't have Andy around to cast the Haste spell on us so we could run faster than our normal running speed, we would learn what the inside of a remorhaz's belly looks like by now, or we would be too dead to find out. We came to a curve at the end of the passage and followed the curve left, going down the wide passage with angry remorhazes screeching and roaring behind us. Our rucksacks full of food and drinks barely slowed us down while we were hasted, but still we had no choice but to ditch them.

"This was a bad idea! Coming into a cavern infested with remorhaz!" Andy exclaimed fearfully as he ran with us.

"Less talk, more running! When the Haste spell wears off, we'll need you to cast it on us again to keep ahead of these things!" I exclaimed.

We ran down a long, narrow tunnel with absolutely no small or large holes on the walls or floor, and when Gorris looked over his shoulder to see if the remorhaz are chasing us, he saw two adult remorhaz, possibly the parents of the eggs Andy stepped on, and two smaller sub adults chasing after us about 40 feet behind us.

"Hurry up, guys! They are gaining on us!" Gorris exclaimed.

60 feet down the winding passage we saw another adult remorhaz blocking our way! And behind it the cavern's tunnel continues on! We had to come to a stop and figure out how to get by this thing and fast, because the other remorhazes are 70 feet away behind us.

"Blind it! Quick!" I exclaimed, aiming my crossbow at the creature when it began to crawl towards us.

I fired my crossbow bolt the moment Lysara fired her arrow at it. My crossbow bolt hit the creature in its left eye, and Lysara's arrow hit is right eye, and the remorhaz thrashed about, screeching in pain, with greenish-blue ocular fluid gushing out from its damaged eyes. We took this opportunity to run past it while it still thrashed around in pain. Gorris and Ordmar came close to getting pinned against the wall by the creature, but Gorris jumped forward to avoid getting pinned, and Ordmar rolled on the ground briefly like a wheel before the creature's body could pin him against the wall, then he was back on his feet and running. The other remorhazes tried to get past their wounded brethren, but it was difficult for them to. Only the one that is most likely the mother of the nest Andy accidentally disturbed, managed to get past the blinded remorhaz and chase after us.

Unfortunately for Andy, the heavy weight of his robes wet with remorhaz egg yolk was making him tired even though he is still fairly fast while hasted. but if the Haste spell wears off, he will be too tired to move or do anything, he will become an easy target for the remorhazes.

I never noticed that Andy was lagging behind us until he called to us.

"Guys... Guys, I... I can't keep going..." He wheezed.

We stopped and turned around. We couldn't see the remorhazes behind Andy yet, but we could still hear the angry screeches of the one who is likely the mother of the cache of eggs Andy disturbed.

"Andy! We have to keep moving! What's wrong?!" I exclaimed.

"This... remorhaz egg yolk... It's too heavy on my clothes..." Andy panted heavily.

I looked around for an easy escape route. We need to find a way to escape without continuing to run through these tunnels.

Nearby, on the wall to our right, we saw one of the small holes that we keep seeing throughout the cavern. If we could slide down them, we might be able to escape the family of remorhaz, these hole are too small for them to chase us into.

"There!" I pointed at one of the holes. "Let's jump in one of those!" I exclaimed.

The screeching is growing louder, they are getting close! None of my companions argued, instead, they followed me into the hole. I jumped in first, then Felicia Felicia followed, and everyone else. Sliding down the narrow tunnel was both exciting and terrifying. Well, mostly terrifying, because while I was sliding down the small hole, watching different variants of of the color blue quickly slide by my eyes, I tried not to imagine myself sliding down the gullet of a monster. We slid down that hole for what felt like an hour, and my eyes got tired of seeing so much blue, cyan and a little violet along the walls of the hole.

* * *

Right when I thought I would fall asleep sliding down a seemingly endless chute, we reached the end and we fell and hit the ground in a new part of the cavern, one that is farther away from the ground level parts. We fell from a ceiling hole, but fortunately we did not land on each other. When we got up on our feet, we saw a full body image of a nearly naked elderly human woman emerge from the wall directly in front of us briefly, then melt back into the wall.

"What the hell was that?!" Xalorn exclaimed.

Andy started laughing. "See? I told you I wasn't going crazy, was I?"

"Okay, lad, we take back everything we said to ye," Ordmar apologized.

After getting our bearings, we moved on down the tunnel north, or what we believe is north. Eventually we found a new passage branching to the right. We followed it and found ourselves in a room that seems to be a half blacksmith shop, half kitchen, having all the equipment needed to create weapons and armor, and cooking great foods. We saw a dwarf nearby studying some strange objects on a table. We didn't say anything to him, but we did approach him with curiosity.

"Be thinkin' to creep up on a blind old dwarf, are ye? Don't think I don't know ye're there- I can hear ye breathing, so speak up," he said to us without looking at us.

"Who are you?" I asked him.

"I be Tiernon, of the Clan Hearthstone. Who be ye?" The dwarf asked us, finally turning to look directly at us.

We noticed that his eyes are closed shut, and his eyelids are nearly black as charcoal.

"What happened to yer eyes?" Ordmar asked.

"Maybe ye share yer tale o' how ye came to be here *first*, then I'll share me tales with ye. Now who be ye?"

"Travelers, in search of the Seer of these caves. Have you seen her?" I asked.

Tiernon frowned. "Have ye come to harm her? If ye have, ye'll be gettin' no help from me. Get gone an' trouble us no more."

"We have no desire to harm her, we came in search of information," Andy said.

Tiernon seemed to relax a bit now. "Hmn. Yer words ring true to me ears, but I trust not a face she can't see- an' she don't want to speak to ye anyway, so there's little help to be had."

"Why doesn't she want to see us?" Felicia asked.

"Ye're *why* she's hiding here, stranger. She told me ye'd come... an' ye'd be carrying her death with ye. She's been afraid of yer visit for a ten-year or more, so much so she won't step outside her cave. It's been all I can do to get her to eat," Tiernon explained.

"Why would we kill her?" Gorris asked.

Tiernon shrugged. "I can't see yer faces, strangers, much less read yer hearts. Ye could have a sore o' reasons."

"If the Seer predicted our coming, she must have surely predicted we would speak to her," I said.

Tiernon stroked his thick red beard. "Hmnn. I see yer point, stranger. All right then, I'll help ye- but if ye bring any harm to her, ye'll answer to me. She's sealed herself within a chamber nor far behind this room, an' the door's a special one, one o' me own making. There's no way to open it unless ye know how to *look* at it. Ye need to see the reflection o' the door in a mirror, then ye'll see the workings of it. A finely crafted thing it is, make no mistake."

"Where do we get a mirror?" Lysara asked Tiernon.

"I can craft ye one, but I'll need yer help with it- there are times I need a spare set o' eyes to finish a piece," Tiernon smiled.

"All right, then. Where do we begin?" I asked.

"That's the spirit!" Tiernon clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Now, go to the table an' grab the two smallest o' three chisels ye see, then..."

Helping Teirnon craft a mirror was time consuming, but interesting work. I could tell that Ordmar enjoyed this as well, working alongside a fellow dwarf. Ordmar and Tiernon had some interesting and funny conversations. Too bad I can't remember any of them. It took us two hours to finish crafting the mirror. It is a portable mirror, can be easily carried by hand.

"There ye be- that'll serve ye as a key to see her, if ye're determined to. Now get along with ye..." Then before we could leave, heading for the back room leading straight to the Seer's chambers, Tiernon called to us. "Wait. Ye have something o' mine, ye do, Jovan."

I turned around, confused.

"That sword ye're carrying, the one that looks like it's been dredged from Dinneshere. Where did ye come by it?" He asked me.

I pulled Aihonen's blade out of its scabbard.

"Aihonen's Blade? I got it from Aihonen's descendant who is a fisherman in Easthaven," I explained.

"Well, it wasn't meant for ye, it wasn't. Must have been some fool that gave it to ye. Its singing's off," Ternon said while approaching me.

""Its singing...?" Did you make this?" I asked.

Tiernon nodded proudly. "Aye, long ago I may have- for some poor fool that thought he'd take all o' Faerun on his shoulders. Pah! That damn thing's singing is making me ears bleed! Hand it over!"

"Uh, all right," I handed the sword to Tiernon.

Then he carried it over to the blacksmith forge.

"Damnable metal... wail curses at *me*, will ye?! I'll fix ye!" Tiernon placed the blade into the forge. "Not me fault yer master was a thrice-damned fool, not me fault he died... now, hold still, damn blade..."

"Tiernon, what are you d-" I tried to say.

"Ye be quiet!" He snapped. "Give me a moment," he said in a more calmer tone.

Tiernon got busy "soothing" the blade, which took about 20 minutes to do, but when he was finished, the blade looked much more amazing than before.

"Last time I give a blade a woman's temperament- there, the lass is all better now, just needed a little comforting hand to smooth out the rough edges," Tiernon said when he handed the sword back to me. "Keep her close, an' she'll watch out for ye," Tiernon smield at me.

I put the sword back in its scabbard. "Thanks Tiernon, I'll wield this blade with honor."

Tiernon sighed. "That's what I'm afraid of, stranger- that's what the last one who held her did. Best ye be gone, now."

* * *

After leaving through Tiernon's back door, we walked down a narrow corridor with bright blue icy walls until we came to a dead end. I pulled the mirror out of my pocket and held it up at the dead end. Through the reflective surface of the mirror, I saw not a dead end, but a sophisticated door of dwarven make. Tiernon may be blind, but he certainly is a genius. I approached the door with the mirror still held up in my right hand, and I reached at the doorknob with my left hand, twisted it, and opened the door.

We stepped inside, and in the center of the room, we saw a naked old human woman with her back turned on us. When she turned around to face us, I heard Andy, Gorris, Ordmar and Xalorn gasp in unison, and when I turned to look at them, they averted their gaze, looking up at the ceiling because the old woman wore no undergarments, shirt or any type of brassiere at all, although her long gray hair covered her chest, it didn't make Andy, Xalorn, Gorris and Ordmar less disturbed. As I recall, the Seer seemed to be somewhere between the ages of 67 and 72, she appeared infirm, her pale skin has wrinkles on some parts of her body, especially her face, but she had enough strength to stand straight up on her feet. And she had no eyes either. Unlike Ternon, however, her eyelids were gone, exposing her eyeless sockets which are completely empty.

"Death comes with swift wings. My hiding place... is a place of hiding no longer," she said to us calmly.

"What happened to your eyes?" I asked.

"My eyes?" The Seer asked. Then after a short pause, she smiled, showing her old, rotting teeth. "Ah, my eyes... they served me too well."

"What do you mean?" Felicia asked, stepping in front of Andy who is still looking up at the ceiling, too afraid to look at a 70 year old naked woman.

"An ax can be of the strongest steel, and so sharp it cleaves the man that wields it. A fire can burn so fiercely it scars a child that seeks its warmth. And eyes can be blessed to see so far that a woman my see the end of her own life. In seeing my own death... it turned my eyes to dust. Yet still... I see. Many things, past, present and future, here and elsewhere... your coming... and my death, both linked like chains. Your coming is why I buried myself here, for in visions, my death walks in your shadow. It is for that that I fled my people, tried to hide myself from your eyes, and the reason I have long feared this meeting... Yet fear tires the spirit, and it has brought me little except more fear." The Seer shrugged in defeat. "Kill me if you wish... or leave me here and *she* will kill me. In the end, I die the same death," she said to us.

I assumed that the reason why the Seer wore no clothes is that ever since the first day she hid in these caves which was decades ago her clothes grew old and rotten, no longer fit for wearing.

"Who is this "she" you are speaking of?" Lysara asked.

"You have seen the creature that wears Wylfdene's body like a cloak. She has chosen wisely, that one," The Seer smirked.

Now we know the spirit that controls Wylfdene's body used to be a woman, or at least a person or animal of the female gender.

"Wylfdene is possessed? By what?" I asked.

"She is the spirit of the one who died in the North a century ago, and she carries the death of the North with her now. She has taken Wylfdene's body, and with it, the heart of his people. She is clever, and moves as ice moves, slowly and patiently. She will prove a difficult foe, for she carries death with her... as do you all," The Seer explained to us.

"So how can we defeat this creature... this thing that's become Wylfdene?" Gorris asked, still looking up at the ceiling.

In response to that, The Seer walked over to the icy wall, and as she did, she spoke to us in response to Gorris's question.

"All things have a weakness... and in this, the creature that is Wylfdene and I share a common one... Sight." She paused near the wall and looked straight at us. "Do you know *why* I have hidden here, chosen *this* place?" She asked us.

We didn't reply verbally, but The Seer knew that our answer would be "no".

"The ice is a shield, more powerful than steel or iron. Though it does not know this, the creature that is Wylfdene cannot approach it and remain Wylfdene," she explained.

"Why not?" I asked.

In response, The Seer began caressing the smooth icy wall with her right hand, feeling the cool surface of it.

"Ice... is a curious thing. One may see through it, yet see themselves *in* it. Therein lies *power*. The creature that is Wylfdene is a proud thing, like all of her kind. She cannot bear to see herself as anything other than she is, no matter what corpse she hides in." She stopped touching the wall and approached me, pointing at the mirror in my hand.

"The mirror you held to enter here will force her to *see*. In seeing, Wylfdene's body will melt from her like water... No more Wylfdene, only the beast, the great wyrm of ice and snow. Bring the ice mirror before her. She will remember it, for it is of her, and a thing knows its own nature."

"But the creature that is Wylfdene has already taken control of the hearts and minds of my people. If we expose her, the tribes will turn against me and my companions, believing we killed their king rather than expose an imposter. You can see what Wylfdene is, and what he isn't. If you came with us, my people would heed your word," Gorris said.

"In her shadow is my death. I will not approach her. The mirror is enough, and my words shall be heard only by you," The Seer assured him.

"But how can you be certain the mirror will work?" Andy asked.

The Seer chuckled.

"A woman knows a woman's heart, and a strange, beautiful, and cruel thing it is. But the cruelest of all is a heart of winter, for it beats not with love, but with loss, and *nothing* can comfort it. When a human heart breaks, it may heal and forgive. But when a heart of winter breaks, it is like ice... it shatters and can never be made whole again. A heart of winter is what will damn our people and yours, all so it may remember what life *once* was... not as it is," she said.

I shook my head. "Why does this... creature that's possessed Wylfdene... why does she want to destroy the Ten Towns?"

"Her heart was broken once by a man of the Ten Towns. A *mighty* breaking it was, for in it, she lost her kingdom, her love, and her life. Now, her heart beats with the cold vengeance of winter," The Seer replied.

Whoever this creature is that controls Wylfdene's body, I began to feel a little sorry for her, knowing that she lost everything she held dear. Elf, human or any other sentient race, that kind of loss can change you for the worst.

"Is there a way to reason with her? There is no need for war..." Andy said, apparently thinking the same thing I am.

"A woman's fury is a terrible thing," The Seer said to the young human with a bleak smirk. "Many women have you met in your travels, many more have you *yet* to meet- you will learn their hearts."

Andy remained silent, wondering if the Seer can see his future. He also felt more and more uncomfortable when we looked at him, and the Seer wasn't done speaking to him.

"In each, there is rage, and love, and hate, and sorrow. I have seen all their deaths, whether death has come for them or not. Shall I speak their hearts?"

"No!" Andy blurted out suddenly. "No," he repeated calmly this time.

"I understand your fears, child," The Seer smiled. "Seeing friends and loved ones you will meet later in life, and learning how their lives will come to an end is more than enough to shatter a sane mind beyond repair... like a wall of ice. I see as if through the eyes of hundreds, child... such sights... it is as if my life is split upon countless branches of a great tree, and I can see through the eyes of each branch into another place... another time. I have seen visions of the past, of death, of spiraling cities and a black-brambled garden, of creatures both spirit and stone. In all these things... I was not myself... yet always I see through a woman's eyes."

"Okay, then. We will take the mirror to Wylfdene and see the truth of your words," I said.

"If you would leave this place, I may speed your journey," the Seer said.

"That's good, the journey to get here has been a very long one. Transport us back to Lonelywood," I said.

Then, in a blink of an eye, we found ourselves back in Lonelywood. The few people walking around us were startled to see us suddenly appear out of thin air. We headed towards the Whistling Gallows Inn to meet with Hjollder and prepare for our return to Wylfdene's campsite.

"Ugh... I really need a bath..." Andy groaned, his robes still soaked in remorhaz egg yolk liquid.


	15. Chapter 15 The Heart Of Winter Part 3

When we entered the Whistling Gallows Inn, we reunited with Hjollder and informed him that we haf met the Seer and found a way to expose the spirit that has control of Wylfdene's body, and Hjollder told us that while we were gone he visited the camp frequently and learned many things, like the day when the tribes will invade the Ten Towns, which is no more than a day away, and he informed us that will return to the Reghedmen camp in secret again and wait for us there. We allowed Andy to take a bath and wash and dry his robes before we took the long walk back to the barbarian camp.

We were never waylaid by any patrols, which means everyone must have gathered in the camp, which might mean that Wylfdene is about to get the war against the Ten Towns underway, starting the assault on Lonelywood since it is the most vulnerable of the Ten Towns. We found our old barbarian "friend" Angaar the Brave guarding the gates by himself this time. Whatever is going on, Wylfdene called in most of his people into the campsite for it.

"Why have you come yet again, outlanders? I cannot allow you entry here. You must leave," he said.

"We seek an audience with Wylfdene," I said with confidence.

"By what right? You are not of our blood!" Angaar retorted.

"We have passed the test of Tempos and have shown we are destined for a greater purpose. The time has come for me to fulfill that purpose," I said.

Angaar took a long look at us and I could tell that he sees the change in us.

"Yes... perhaps the time has come. May Tempos continue to favor you. Come, I'll take you to Wylfdene," he said.

He turned around, opened the gate, and escorted us in. As we headed for the great mead hall tent, our return caused quite a commotion throughout the camp. Apparently the barbarian men and women did not expect us to return, and they were extremely curious at why we have come back. After we came in to the great mead hall, hundreds of barbarians followed after us, eager to see what we have to say to Wylfdene. We found him sitting in his throne flanked by his bodyguards just like the last time we saw him several tendays ago, and like everyone else, he was genuinely surprised to see our return.

"Why are you here, outlanders? I see no shaman for you to hide behind this time," Wylfdene said smugly.

"We have visited the Seer of the Gloomfrost. She has sent us to you,' I replied.

All the barbarians behind us gasped in surprise and murmured among themselves.

Wylfdene nodded, obviously amused, though his usually stoic expression didn't show much of it. "I see. You lose one shaman who shielded you, and now you hide behind another... So tell me, why did she send you?"

I pulled the mirror out of my pocket slowly. "To bring you a gift, Wylfdene. A mirror of ice," I announced, holding the ice mirror.

The barbarians around us murmured among each other again.

Wylfdene smirked briefly. "Gift me a mirror? You humor me, outlander. Neither I, nor my people, have use of such a thing. It is a toy of your people. It plays upon the vanity of fools and females. Why would she gift me such a thing?"

I tried to reply, but Wylfdene cut me off before I could.

"No, more likely this is some outlander trick designed to slay me. You seek to succeed where your previous assassin failed," he said.

I shook my head. "You say that we hide behind a shaman and all the while you hide behind your bravado and a curtain of words. What is it that you fear?" I asked him.

Wylfdene rose up out of his chair, standing tall and proud. "I am Wylfdene, blessed and guided by the spirit of Jerrod! I fear nothing, outlander," he rebuffed me.

I nodded. "So you say, and yet you find a simple mirror to be daunting. I will gaze into the mirror a without fear... See?" I held the mirror up to my face, seeing my reflection in it.

"Hmm," Wylfdene huffed, crossing his muscular arms. "And what is it that you see? What truth is revealed to you?" He asked me.

I gazed at my reflection intently before replying. "I see a man who accepts what he is, good or ill. A man who does not fear the *truth* of his own reflection. I wonder... what would the mighty Wylfdene see?"

"What indeed. Wylfdene shall see the truth of his reflection, outlander. He shall see a king raised from the dead, he forming of a great nation, and the triumph of his people as the Ten Towns are erased from the face of Faerun!" He exclaimed triumphantly.

And in response, the barbarians around us whooped and cheered loudly, emboldened by their king's exuberant claims.

"Hold forth you mirror, and behold such a king among men!" Wylfdene challenged me when the cheers died down a bit.

I walked toward him slowly, holding the mirror up at him. "Gaze deep, Wylfdene. Reveal to us the truth of your words..." I said.

Wylfdene crouched down slightly and looked into the ice mirror for about 4 seconds., and scoffed.

"...Bah. Your mirror is nothing more than I expected. A simple toy that..." He let his voice trail off there for some reason, and as he looked into the mirror further, his calm, stoic facial expression slowly turned into a horrified expression, eyes wide and eyebrows arched upwards in shock.

"No... No! It cannot be!" He said fearfully in steadily growing horror. Then he began touching the stubble on his face as if in sheer disbelief that he is a tall, rugged, muscular man.

"What have I done? This hideous form defiles the majesty of my being! Enough! Put away your mirror!" Wylfdene demanded, standing up on his feet and shielding his face from me.

At that moment I understood what the Seer meant about how Wylfdene cannot look into a mirror and remain Wylfdene. The foreign spirit that controls Wylfdene's body is basically an actor that is proud of what she once was, so proud that if she sees herself as Wylfdene in the mirror, she will become so horrified at the sight of not seeing herself that she will break character.

""Majesty of your being...?" What..." I feigned confusion as I placed the mirror back in my pocket as "he" commanded, then I backed away.

Then suddenly, the Seer teleported into the mead hall next to Wylfdene to his right. All the barbarians gasped in surprise and fell to complete silence. The Seer smiled at Wylfdene, showing her old teeth.

"Ah, sight is painful, is it not, spirit? Such pain is well known to me. And seeing yourself as you truly are- the most painful thing of all. Look into the mirror, creature that is Wylfdene. See truth... See yourself," she said to the creature controlling Wylfdene's corpse.

Wylfdene grew so angry at her, I saw his muscles tense up, revealing some blood veins on his arms.

"What do you know of pain,_ HAG?!"_ Wylfdene exclaimed angrily at her, his voice sounding somewhat different, a strange mix of his own voice, and a new voice, a baritone feminine voice. "I held the North in my claws! When I spread my wings, I shadowed the face of the world! I was a GODDESS! One man... One man took it all from me! My life... My love... Everything that I was! Aihonen! I curse you and all your kind! I will yet see the day that I eradicate all humans!" Wylfdene grabbed his war axe near his throne. "... And I shall start with you, hag!" He prepared to swing his axe at the Seer!

"NO!" I yelled, pulling Aihonen's sword out of my scabbard and charging forward. My companions tried to jump in, too, but we were too late to act.

Wylfdene diagonally swung his war axe down at the Seer, the blade sliced open her midsection in the shape of a slanted "l", spraying blood on several crates nearby, and she fell to the ground in a fetal position, her arms crossed in front of her wound trying to keep her intestines from falling out. Then almost immediately, Wylfdene's body began to melt, causing a lot of confused barbarians to clamor loudly. His melting body collapsed to the floor, and I'm pretty sure my companions and I weren't the only ones who saw this, we saw the spirit that possessed the body leave. She appeared to be in the form of a white dragon. White dragons are a species of dragon known as "chromatic dragons", which are types of dragons that are usually distinguished by a solid, non-reflective coloring of their scales. There are red dragons, blue dragons, green dragons, brown dragons, black dragons and white dragons. White dragons are known to be the smallest species of chromatic dragons especially when they reach adulthood and grow older becoming great wyrms, which is a term given to dragons that are 1,000 years old, and they are the weakest, but most feral race of dragons based on colors like red and blue. From what I heard, Red dragons are the most powerful race of chromatic dragons. Anyway, the white dragon spirit, she rose up out of Wylfdene's melting body, roaring angrily at us before rising several feet up into the air and disappearing.

"It is done," the Seer said, shuddering as a pool of blood quickly formed around her.

My companions and I rushed over to her.

"By Tempos... Wylfdene dealt a fatal blow..." Gorris said in horror.

"Lay still, Seer- your wound is great, yet we my still save you," I said.

The Seer looked up at me and forced a smile regardless of the pain she is feeling.

"This wound is by time's hand, there is no healing it. The time of my death is now upon me," she said.

"You were brave to come, Seer. I thought your fear of death ruled you, and you would not help us face Wylfdene," Xalorn said.

The Seer coughed for a few seconds. "I have found that fear, the fear of death... is no small thing to put aside. Yet I will not allow the hopes of my people and yours to be slain because of an old woman's fear. Death comes for us all, and I for one, see it... and now, embrace it..." She let out one final exhale and she rested her head on the blood-soaked floor.

"Farewell, Seer," I said solemnly, comparing her bravery to that of Everard's.

The Seer and Everard are two brave souls who gave their lives to preserve the hopes and futures of people. Then, as I suspected, confusion began to spread among the barbarians.

"What... What happened to our king?" A warrior of the Tribe of the Great Wyrm looked around in confusion.

"Our king was not our king! Weren't you listening? His body had been taken over by the spirit of a slain white wyrm!" A warrior of the Tribe of the Elk exclaimed.

"No! It must be some trick brought on by these outlanders!" A tribesman of the Great Wyrm Tribe pointed an accusing finger at us.

"I am no outlander!" Gorris stepped forward bravely.

"Who are you, you who claims to be of our blood?" A tribesman of the Tribe of the Elk asked Gorris among the crowd of barbarians.

"I am Gorris, son of Keifstarr, proud member of what was once the Tribe of the Bear!" Gorris answered back, standing tall and confident.

And to my surprise, Xalorn stood up with him.

"And I am Xalorn, the half-blood son of Galdarik, proud member of the Tribe of the Bear!"

"We have been away for the past several months to go on an expedition to Kuldahar to stop a great evil that sought to bring demons into our world through Jerrod's Stone. Now that the evil has been slain, we come back to find our tribes misled by an impostor who wore our once beloved king's skin. And now that the spirit's identity has been exposed, you are going to let a civil war break out among the tribes? All of you shame our ancestors!" Gorris boomed loudly with authority.

"Silence, young one! You know not of our suffering! Impostor or not, the spirit that controlled Wylfdene's body promised us a land free from the clutches of the Ten Towns!" A middle aged warrior of the Tribe of the Great Wyrm exclaimed.

"What she really promised is death and destruction for the Ten Towns, and us along with them!" Gorris shot back. "Open your eyes to the truth, and understand that war will bring destruction to both sides! This what Tempos wanted Hjollder to understand, and that is why he brought me and my outsider companions here, to stop the false Wylfdene from destroying the Ten Towns, and us in the process! The spirit that controlled our dead king cares nothing for us! We were her tools to be used in her quest for personal revenge!"

"Silence, whelp!" A veteran warrior of the Tribe of the Great Wyrm exclaimed. "False king or no, we were going to be led into a new age of prosperity! One with the people of the Ten Towns wiped out of existence!"

"No!" A warrior of the Tribe of the Elk exclaimed. "Gorris speaks the truth. Nothing good will come from a bloody war against the Ten Towns. We should focus on preserving our ways for future generations to learn so they will not be lost in the "civilized" ways of the Ten Town settlers."

At that moment, I realized that the Tribe of the Elk will stand with Gorris, and by extension, us too, against the Tribe of the Great Wyrm.

"Fools! Spineless traitors! All of you! If you will not follow us to a future where the Ten Towns no longer exist, you will die along with them!" The veteran warrior of the Wyrm Tribe exclaimed.

Then all hell broke loose! Civil war erupted in the Reghedmen campsite! All warriors of the Great Wyrm Tribe fought against the warriors of the Elk! My companions and I aided the Elk warriors during part in the battle, but Gorris fought the veteran Great Wyrm Tribe warrior in single combat. It was an intense fight, two men of brute strength going all out on each other... it would have been a marvel to see if we weren't in the battle ourselves. Eventually Gorris bested and killed the veteran warrior and when we stepped outside, we saw hundreds of Wyrm Tribe warriors being slain by the warriors of Elk. The Great Wyrm Tribe may have been strong, proud and defiant, but with our help, in the end, they were outnumbered, outmatched and killed trying to uphold the belief that war against the Ten Towns is the only way the Reghedmen tribes can survive and prosper.

* * *

After every single Wyrm Tribe warrior was killed, all the surviving barbarians of the Tribe of the Elk cheered, happy that they averted an unnecessary war and killed the rogues that the spirit of the white dragon managed to indoctrinate while impersonating Wylfdene. Three hours later after throwing the bodies of the Great Wyrm tribe warriors outside the camp and setting their bodies on fire so that they'll burn to ash, they threw a party in the great mead hall that we were all invited to come and participate, and they also congratulated Gorris on helping them see the error in their ways, and considered the possibility of making him the new king of the reinstated Tribe of the Bear. Even Hjollder joined us in the celebration.

"You have succeeded, my friends! The corrupt spirit has fled Wylfdene's body! Your heroic deeds shall forever be sung by my people," he said to us.

"So, that's it? We defeated the bad guy, now our journey is over?" Lysara asked, expecting a yes.

Hjollder grimly shook his head. "No, I'm afraid our journey is not at an end. This spirit... this malevolent soul of a great wyrm has fled the field, but it is still free to pursue its mission of terror and vengeance. I fear that until it is hunted down and destroyed, the threat of its return will hang over the heads of my people and the Ten Towns like an evil cloud. I would ask you once again to take up arms against this ancient hate, so that my people and yours can finally be at peace."

"We'd be more than happy to help, but you said it yourself... the spirit has fled. How are we to know where?' I asked, hoping Hjollder has a plan.

"I have learned that just two days ago, Wylfdene ordered a score of virgins to be taken by ship to an island upon the Sea of Moving Ice," Hjollder stated.

"What is so important about this island?" Andy asked curiously, eating a roasted turkey breast that the barbarian tribes have cooked during this celebration.

"The island was once a sacred site where an elder tribe made sacrifices to their patron spirit, the Great Wyrm. The ancient tribe died out long ago, and with them died the practice of sacrificing virgins to appease the Great Wyrm," Hjollder explained.

"Is there a connection that I'm sensing here...?" Gorris asked us, smirking, and I could see that he gets where Hjollder is going.

"I believe that the spirit we routed today and the spirit of the Great Wyrm are one and the same. That is why Wylfdene ordered such a sacrifice," Hjollder said.

At that moment I was beginning to piece together the identity of the spirit of this white wyrm.

"So ye think the spirit may have fled to this island?" Ordmar asked before biting into his own piece of a cooked turkey breast.

"Yes," Hjollder nodded. "A ship stands ready to take you to the island. The warriors of the Tribe of the Gray Whale, our seafaring cousins to the west, are prepared to show you the way."

I smiled. Hjollder must have taken the three hours after the civil war to teleport himself far west to Icewind Dale and inform his cousin tribe of what has been happening, and asked for their assistance to send us to that island in the Sea of Moving Ice. Hjollder knows how to plan ahead, I'll say that.

"Very well. We shall leave at once," I said without hesitation.

"Good luck, my friends. May Tempos continue to show you favor upon the field of glory!" Hjollder bid us farewell, and we bid him farewell too before we left the campsite along with a group of nine warriors who escorted us to where the Tribe of the Gray Whale is located many miles northwest from Bremen's Run.

* * *

Seven days later, we met with the king of the Tribe of the Gray Whale, who has already been informed by Hjollder of our arrival, and he offered us a boat ride across the Sea of Moving Ice to the icy island where the elder tribe known as the Tribe of the Great Wyrm used to make sacrifices to a white dragon. The ship that we will use to get there is huge, meant to be rowed by ten strong warriors of the Gray Whale Tribe, five on one side of the ship, five on the other side. Our Elk Tribe escorts left us when we climbed on to the ship, and once we began to leave the shore, I once again felt uneasy being on solid ground being rocked by the waves of the icy water.

The Sea of Moving Ice is the part of Toril's ocean that is directly north from Icewind Dale, which makes it the northernmost and coldest part of Faerun, which means that it is much colder there than back in Lonelywood or Easthaven. These are mostly uncharted waters, filled with icebergs, islets of ice of many shapes and sizes, but there is enough room for any ship, including the one my group and I were on to pass through. Though the winds chilled my face, I was fascinated by the sights. I stood on the deck of the ship with a barbarian who vigilantly watched what is ahead of the ship. If we were running towards an iceberg or a large islet of ice, he would bark a command to the warriors rowing the boat to bank left or right to dodge the iceberg or islet.

"ICEBERG! HARD LEFT!" He would shout, then we would feel the ship gently tilt to the left and I would see the iceberg move to the right, away from the front of the ship.

As I checked my surroundings, I saw that the air is so cold here, there is a soft mist that makes it difficult for you to see what is 40 feet away from you. On some of the islets of ice, I saw walruses, seals, and polar bears. I also saw several shipwrecks, ships that were unlucky to crash into an iceberg or a large islet of ice. The navigating barbarian, who is named Beneorn told me that ice trolls usually make their homes in shipwrecks like that.

By nightfall, Andy came up to me, comfortably wrapped in a thick cloak with a hood over his head.

"You can't sleep?" He asked me.

I shook my head, still looking out at the vast icy ocean with Beneorn. Andy tried to step in front of me and lean far enough to get a look at my face under the hood of my cloak.

"Is something bothering you? If there is, what is it?" He asked me.

"I think I know who the spirit of this white wyrm is that we are searching for," I said.

Andy blinked. "You do?" Then he signaled Ordmar and everyone else on the other side of the deck to come near us.

I closed my eyes and started to tell them everything.

"After everything I've seen, after everything I've heard... It all connects." I took a deep breath an exhaled, watching my frozen breath leave my lips. "I think the spirit of this white wyrm we are chasing is none other than Icasaracht."

"You... you mean that white dragon that Jhonen's ancestor Aihonen slayed a century ago? Are you sure?" Andy asked skeptically.

I looked at him with all seriousness. "Weren't you listening to her before Wylfdene's corpse melted? She said that she curses Aihonen and all of the human race. No other dragon would say that unless they have been slighted by Aihonen."

"That makes sense," Andy nodded.

Then I felt Lysara tap my back to get my attention. I turned around and looked down at her.

"I don't mean to change the subject a bit, but if we find Icasaracht, how will we destroy her ghost?"

"We'll cross that bridge once we get there, lassie," Ordmar patted her head.

"I have to admit, I'm kinda nervous," she admitted to him.

Ordmar gave her a soft hug.

"Aw, don't you worry about it. I promised yer father years ago that I'd look after ye, and I will keep that promise. I kept good to it so far, didn't I?"

Lysara nodded in response.

"ICEBERG! HARD RIGHT!" Beneorn shouted, startling Lysara and Andy.

"Yes, you did," Lysara replied to Ordmar after a short pause to catch her breath.

Then Felicia stood net to me, watching the vast misty ocean.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" She asked me.

I nodded, then I looked at her.

"Is there something on your mind?" I asked her.

"Only that I've been thinking of a good name for our baby. Do you have a name planned?" She asked me.

I shook my head. "Nope. I'm drawing a blank," I shamelessly said then continued gazing out at the icy islets, watching two mated polar bears feed their baby a fish they caught.

"Well... if our baby is a boy, why don't we name him after my 3rd human cousin Oliver?"

I turned my head to look at Felicia again and smiled.

"Oliver? Really?"

"What? You don't like Oliver?" Felicia asked, smiling.

"No, no, I approve, it's just that... when I hear the name Oliver, I can't help thinking of olive trees, that's all," I admitted. "... But what if our baby is a girl? You have to think of a girl name," I added.

Felicia was surprised that I caught her off guard like how she got me off guard about giving a name to our baby if it is a boy.

"Hey, no fair! I haven't thought of a girl name yet!" She whined, pushing my chest softly with her right hand.

I laughed. "Well, lucky for you, I have thought up the perfect name."

"Really? What is it?" She asked me excitedly.

"Let's see..." I rubbed my chin. "How do you like the name Ilivia?"

Felicia thought it over for a few seconds. "... Not bad! I like it!" She finally replied.

I wrapped my left arm around her neck and kissed her lips. "Glad we could come to an agreement," I said proudly, and we lapsed into silence watching the many icy islets pass by.

"... Oliver Goldmarsh or Ilivia Goldmarsh... I like the sound of those names..." Felicia said, breaking the silence.

"LARGE ISLET! HARD LEFT!" Beneorn suddenly shouted, startling us.

Then Felicia and I looked at each other and started laughing.

* * *

After 3 days of sailing through the Sea of Moving Ice, we came to the biggest ice island we have ever seen at nightfall. It has a dock for parking ships, and not far up ahead is an very old temple built into a very large cavern, which was probably built by the tribesmen of the Great Wyrm Tribe many centuries ago, in a time when dragons roamed freely around Faerun. I'll explain that part later. As soon as the boat docked, we climbed out, setting foot on the pier, and Beneorn and a few other of his warriors climbed out to stretch their legs.

"So, this is it?" I asked Beneorn, pointing up at the temple 50 yards ahead.

"Yes, this is the place. My grandparents used to tell me stories about an ancient tribe that used to worship the matron mother of all white wyrms many centuries ago," he explained to us.

"Icasaracht," Andy stated.

"Yes," Beneorn nodded.

"Look, we better get going, there's no telling how much time we have left before we miss our opportunity to stop her for good," Gorris said.

"He's right. We should move fast," I said, then I led my group away from the docks and towards the temple.

"Good luck," Beneorn called to us as we left.

We trudged through the snow and ice towards the temple entrance, which as for steps and two closed doors When we got to the doors, we tried to open them, but the ice has frozen them shut. Then Gorris and Xalorn had this idea to use their strength to bash the door down. They slammed their bodies into the door simultaneously with Ordmar's help until the ice on the door broke and the door swung open.

Then we stepped inside the temple. There is no lights. the torches along the temple pillars have long been unlit, so Andy had to use his Light cantrip spell to light the way as we continued deeper into the temple. The temple seems to be one large room suspended by thick pillars, meaning the more interesting stuff is further back into the cavern that it is built into. The other end of the temple is 80 feet away from the entrance, and near the entrance to into the cavernous parts of the temple is a sacrificial altar, which is where the Great Wyrm Tribe possibly sacrificed their maidens to Icasaracht. It is possible that happened, because there are dried and wet blood stains on the flat surface of the altar.

"I get the feeling that the maidens were sacrificed here recently," Xalorn said, checking the blood on the altar.

"That means we are on the right track. Stay focused, everyone," I said warily, holding my crossbow at the ready as we cautiously approached the cavern entrance.

We entered the cavern and soon we found ourselves in an open space too wide for the light orb levitating in Andy's right hand to illuminate. But fortunately the ceiling of the cavern had a hole big and round enough for a dragon to fall down into, allowing the moonlight and stars to shine down into the center of the cavern, partially illuminating except the outer rim areas it to give us a sense of our surroundings. The cavern is big enough to hold a family of white dragons, and about 30 feet northwest from our position, at the edge of the light we saw a frozen body of a white dragon. The dragon's frozen corpse is big, meaning it could possibly have been over 1,000 years old or a bit more than that.

"Is that Icasaracht's corpse?" Andy whispered at me, dispelling the Light cantrip.

I frowned after close examination of the corpse. "No. I don't think so."

As I recalled, before we left Easthaven, when I heard Elisia's song, I had a vision. I saw the bones of Icasaracht's body laying deep below the surface of Lac Dinneshere. Then, when we stepped under the light of the night sky above, we sensed that we are not alone here. My nerves felt on edge, as if I wanted squeeze the trigger of my crossbow or turn tail and run away. Of course, I had to fight that urge. We've come too far to get scared off.

"Icasaracht! We know you are in here. Come out from the shadows and face justice," I called, my voice bouncing around the walls of the vast chamber until it disappeared.

Then seconds later we heard heavy footsteps in the snow slowly coming at us from the shadows ahead of us, away from the light beaming down from the ceiling. Again, we had to fight the urge not to run, we stayed our ground, waiting for the wyrm to show itself in the light of the night sky. The footsteps grew louder, closer, and then, from out of the dark shadows at the rim of the light, a head appeared. Then the body and wings. We were staring at a young adult white dragon. The body that Icasaracht;s soul now wears must be no more than 110 years old, she is small compared to the corpse of the white dragon close by. Icasaracht stood a foot shorter than a adult frost giant, her scales are flawlessly white, her wings appeared to be frayed around the edges, and she has a small flap of skin under her chin that is called a dewlap, lined with small spines. Her head is streamlined like all other white dragons, with a high crest on top of her skull, her toes are spaced wide unlike other chromatic dragons, with barbed claws meant to aid movement on slippery ice, and her blue eyes have extremely thin eyelids meant to prevent her from being blinded by snow when observing arctic landscapes during a blizzard. To be honest, I was amazed. How did Icasaracht have a white dragon body ready to face us? My companions and I also felt the fear aura that all dragons emit to terrify enemies. Fortunately we fought off the urge to run away.

"So... You dared to follow me here. I think you will find that to be a fatal mistake," Icasaracht said, glaring down at us.

I noticed that probably because she is in the body of a female young adult white dragon, her voice sounded less baritone and closer to the range of a 30 year old human woman's voice than when she was controlling Wylfdene's body seconds before she killed the Seer.

"Fatal only to you, Icasaracht," I retorted.

Icasaracht snorted. "Spoken like a true hero. Shall we put those words to the test?"

I quickly realized now might be the time to learn more about her before we get to the possibility of fighting.

"Wait, I'm curious. Returning here made it so easy for us to find you. If you did not want us to find you, why did you come here anyway?" I asked.

"I feared as much, but I had little choice. It was a calculated risk," Icasaracht replied.

"To what end?" I responded.

Icasaracht stood up on her hind legs to make herself appear taller and more majestic with the moonlight shining down on all of us. "To cheat death itself! To be born anew as you see me now! Only by returning here could I do this."

"Why did you need to return here?" Felicia asked the she-dragon.

Icasaracht then fell back down on her front legs. "Long ago, when I built this lair, I included two special wards. One would serve as a beacon that would allow my spirit to find its way here upon my death, and the other would preserve a body almost indefinitely. A few centuries later, I then reared eight offspring, devoid of their spirits, and placed their bodies in the preservation wards. The plan was simple. If I were to die, my spirit would return here and find a new body in which to live again."

I felt confused after hearing her explanation because no creature can give birth to lifeless young naturally.

"How did you rear young with no spirits?" I asked Icasaracht.

"While their flesh was yet unformed, I warded the eggs so that no spirit could find a home within them," she replied to me.

"That was a terrible thing to do to your own kids, Icasaracht," Andy said in mild disgust.

She stared at him with in indignant scowl. "Would you rather I had bore them normally and then stripped their spirits from them? No. By doing what I did, they were nothing more than empty shells, ready for use."

"I understand what you did and why you did it, but still that does not make it ethical at all," Andy replied to her firmly.

"Unfortunately, their father felt as you do and objected to my plan. Had he agreed to it, he could have shared immortality with me..." Icasaracht told Andy in depression.

"I'm guessing that's his skeleton over there?" I pointed over at the frozen corpse at the edge of the light.

Icasaracht briefly glanced over at the corpse I was pointing at, then looked back at us and nodded.

"Yes. He attacked me and had to be slain." She paused and let out a deep sigh of regret. "I regret... but it had to be..."

"Let me ask you another question. Why do you hate the Ten Towns so much?" I asked, hungry for more questions that need to be answered.

I saw Icasaracht's eyes look up at the moon and stars far above the large hole as she answered my question.

"Ages ago, dragonkind roamed Faerun freely. Then the *civilized* races came to power and began to encroach upon our lands. Bloody wars were fought in which your kind launched entire armies upon us. Against such numbers, even we soon fell."

I vividly remember this detail from the stories my grandparents told me when I was younger. A very long time ago, even before my grandparents and their grandparents were born, much longer than the human mind can fathom, dragons were the dominant race in Faerun. They either roamed the wilderness of Faerun hunting whatever animal or adventurer they wanted to freely or ruled over humans, elves and other races as kings, queens or slavers. These times are known in Faerun's recorded history as the Time of Dragons. Eons ago, dragons fought giants over large swaths of land, and after forcing the surviving giants to flee north, individual dragons and dragon clans ruled over humans, elves and other species the would obviously deem "lesser", fighting rival dragons for dominion over lands and such.

But eventually there came a time when humans, elves and other races they dominated rose against them and rebelled. Some rebellions succeeded, a few failed. The ones that succeeded united and liberated towns and cities ruled by chromatic and metallic dragons and hunted and killed every dragon they came across. However, it wasn't the combined efforts of humans, elves and other races alone that brought down the tyrannical reign of dragonkind. Somewhere in Faerun centuries after The Thousand Year War which involved dragonkind going to war once again against the giants, an organized group of elves created a secret weapon against dragons, a mythal not so different from the mythal back in The Severed Hand known as the Dracorage mythal. This mythal is tied to a red meteor that passes over Toril every few centuries called the King-Killer Star. The meteor drives all dragons mad with rage, causing them to kill anything in their path, even their own young and kin without reason, and the mythal amplifies the effects of that comet. If it weren't for the existence of that King-Killer comet, we would probably still be under the rule of dragons.

I'm glad I wasn't born at during those times. Back then, there were so many dragons, it was far too dangerous for lone adventurers to go out roaming the wilderness for tombs and dungeons to explore without getting devoured. However, Icewind Dale remained unaffected by the mass uprising of civilized races, but I'm not sure if the dragons in Icewind Dale were safe from the King-Killer Star, though. Icasaracht and her white dragon kin ruled Icewind Dale freely until sometime after 1100 DR, settlers discovered the knucklehead trout from the lakes and decided to build the Ten Towns there, which eventually led to the war against the white dragons, and the death of Icasaracht's kingdom, second mate and herself. This is all adding up now.

"Now we are solitary creatures who hide in caves in far away lands. We fear sleep, for it is often the sleep of death if we are discovered!" Icasaracht continued.

"What does this have to do with the Ten Towns?" I asked her.

"I was slain fighting for my homeland against an invading army. Aihonen, a man of the Ten Towns, wielded the blade that broke my heart..." Icasaracht said grimly, disheartened by the mere memory of the event.

Confusion struck me at that moment after she said that. The settlers of the Ten Towns sent an invading army to Icewind Dale first? That would make the Ten Town settlers appear as the aggressors, not just towards the Reghedmen barbarians, but also Icasaracht and her white wyrm kin. Official Realms history books didn't say that they used an invading army to settle in Icewind Dale. After a few explorers discovered the knucklehead trout and their high value, an army of adventurers, Aihonen included, were sent to secure the areas around the lakes to make colonization safe, not to invade lands inhabited by the barbarians and the white dragons. Conflict against them was inevitable, but not instigated, or so the history books say.

"An invading army?" I asked the dragon incredulously. "History paints a different picture, Icasaracht."

She nodded in agreement. "Yes, and history is written by the victors as they say. It is also said that history repeats itself..." She said dryly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, mildly confused.

"Look at the plight of the barbarians. Even now they are being driven from their lands by the Ten Towns. Soon they will be left with two choices: extinction or absorption. They are a proud people and will not bend. They will choose extinction. An entire culture will vanish, lost forever, all in the name of civilization... Just as my culture has been lost..." Icasaracht replied solemnly.

Normally chromatic dragons like white dragons are generally evil, seeing humans, elves, dwarves, halflings and other sentient creatures as either prey or slaves. Hearing Icasaracht speaking sympathetically about the plight of the Reghedmen tribes because she could relate to their situation confused me.

"I find it hard to believe that you were doing this out of altruism," I told her, making no attempt to conceal my thoughts.

"When I awakened from my sleep, I looked upon the world anew. And I was shocked to see how little had changed," Icasaracht said, slightly lowering her head in depression. "My lands were still in the hands of the Ten Towns. The plight of the barbarians had not changed at all. I saw a kindred spirit in Wylfdene, so I joined with him to end this tragedy once and for all."

"Tell us something else. You were slain almost a century ago. Why did it take so long for you to awaken?" Gorris asked her.

"The sword of Aihonen had a special enchantment, almost an intelligence of its own. When the fatal blow was struck, it somehow knew that I would be born anew. The blade broke, sacrificing itself, that I might be trapped. My spirit lay within my shattered heart at the bottom of Lac Dinneshere. I can only guess that the blade was removed, allowing my spirit to go free..." Icasaracht said almost hesitantly.

I knew that Elisia acting out of desperation in her love for Jhonen would do something crazy like remove a broken sword from Icasaracht's corpse deep underwater of Lac Dinneshere, but I never expected her actions to lead up to this. If only I knew that little event before our expedition to Kuldahar would lead up to this... But it didn't matter now. Icasaracht was alive, and I have the sword that killed her before, and like she said, history has a way of repeating itself.

"I now hold the sword of Aihonen. It has been forged anew and now sings with a life of its own," I declared.

For some reason, she wasn't worried at all, but she was amused.

"Yes... I sensed the blade when you first entered here and was concerned. However, I now see that the original enchantment was not restored. It is of no consequence."

What she meant by that is even if I manage to kill her with this sword, it will not break off and trap her spirit this time, that special ability the sword had is gone forever. But however, for some naive reason, I believed that Icasaracht could be reasoned with rather than fought. Despite the Seer's claims that Icasaracht has a heart of winter, that she is consumed by thoughts of revenge, I believed that she could be convinced to let go of her vengeful desires and rebuild her life from scratch without harming the Ten Towns. After all, they say that living well is the best revenge in some cases.

"Icasaracht, I'd rather we came to some sort of agreement than fight. Can we do this?" I asked her.

The edges of her mouth immediately curled into a snarl revealing her dagger-like teeth. "NEVER!" She roared. "My heart was shattered long ago, and all mercy bled from the wound. I lost my love, my life, and my kingdom. I shall reclaim it all, or I will pass into oblivion like most of my kind." Then she dropped low into a crouch like a cat preparing to pounce. "Draw your blade. Let us end this now..."

As she commanded me, I pulled Aihonen's blade out of my scabbard.

"So be it," I said.

* * *

It all happened so suddenly. Andy immediately jumped right in front of us, spreading his arms wide to cast a strong ward, and Icasaracht opened her mouth wide and exhaled a cone of extremely cold wind that would freeze us in seconds if Andy didn't shield us! Instead of hitting us, the cold wind bounced off Andy's magic ward like a shield, protecting us all! I'm so glad Andy had the foresight to shield us. The fight would have ended as soon as it began.

"Now! Fire!" I instructed to Lysara.

We moved away from Andy's protective magic shield in opposite directions while he still held his magical ward up blocking Icasaracht's icy breath. Then Lysara and I took aim at Icasaraht's head and fired. My bolt and Lysara's arrow hit Icasaract in her snout, causing her to stop breathing ice wind and throw her head back, roaring in pain. Andy cast the Bless spell on us while Gorris, Xalorn, and Ordmar charged at Icasaracht, and instead of trying to brush the bolt and arrow off her snout, she chose to ignore them and instead use the pain to increase her rage. I can't believe I didn't miss, I was holding my crossbow with only my left hand, Aihonen's sword in my right hand. Remember, white dragons are the weakest of all chromatic dragons, but they shouldn't be underestimated, as we soon learned during the fight. Xalorn got close to her first. She swiped at him with her claws, and Xalorn blocked each strike with his shield. Before she could attempt to bite him, she had to move her head to dodge another one of Lysara's arrows, then she found herself getting ganged up by Gorris and Ordmar. Felicia stayed behind, playing her lute, using her bard abilities to strengthen our morale.

Icasaracht headbutted Gorris to subdue him for a while, but the move came at a cost. She left herself exposed to be attacked. Xalorn struck at her neck with his morningstar mace, and Ordmar hit her with his war hammer hard. Feeling blinding pain on both sides of her neck, she jumped up slightly turned her entire body around clockwise while flapping her wings to knock Xalorn and Ordmar away, knocking them on their feet. When Icasaracht landed, she turned to face Ordmar still lying on his back, then she opened her mouth, turning her head sideways and quickly lowered her head down towards him. I thought that he would become a chew toy for sure, but Ordmar was smart, he turned his large shield sideways so that Icasaracht's mouth wouldn't be able to clamp around his body. She picked him up using her mouth, unable to sink her teeth into his armor. However, she quickly realized that his shield is stuck in her jaws, and tried to shake him off.

"Yeah! Smart move, Ordmar!" Andy exclaimed, then cast a magic missile at the white dragon.

Before Icasaracht got hit by Andy's magic missiles, she roughly threw her head to the side while opening her mouth wide, throwing Ordmar into a small mound of snow in the shadowed darkness of the cavern.

"Whoaaa...!" *SPLAT!*

Gorris still had a big headache from getting headbutted by a dragon, so he was still laying on his back, holding his forehead in pain. Xalorn jumped back up on his feet while I dropped my crossbow and tried to rush in and join him with only Aihonen's sword in my hands. Icasaracht tried to strike at him with her claws again, but all she kept striking was Xalorn's shield, and when she tried to slash at him with her front left leg for the 4th time, Xalorn struck at her claw with his mace, breaking the left "index toe" with a sickening crunch noise. With one of her toes broken, Icasaracht is no doubt in severe pain, but instead of roaring in response to the pain, she became a lot more aggressive. She snatched Xalorn up in her jaws around his torso and started shaking him left and right very viciously like a rabid dog with tough meat to chew on.

"Xalorn! NO!" I shouted when I got up close enough to Icasaracht and began slashing at her exposed chest with Aihonen's sword.

Even though I was doing serious damage, Icasaracht still did not let go of Xalorn. Believe it or not, the sword was cutting through the dragon's scales like butter! I've never had a sword this strong before!

Andy, thinking fast to save Xalorn from getting killed, cast the Stoneskin spell on him once again so that Icasaracht's teeth wouldn't be able to bite deeper into his flesh. Felicia decided to stop singing her bard song, drop her lute, wield her mace and join me in trying to save Xalorn. Finally Icasaracht threw Xalorn down into the snow, but she didn't give him any slack. Knocking me aside with the back of her front right foot, she stood up on her hind legs, front legs above Xalorn, and with a ferocious roar, she brought her front claws down on him, clawing at his armor and hardened skin like crazy. I guess she was mad at him for breaking one of her toes. Who wouldn't be pissed off if someone broke their toe or finger? Anyway, we knew the Stoneskin spell wouldn't last long, we needed to get Icasaracht's attention before it wears off while she is still attacking him. Ordmar rejoined the battle and Gorris managed to get back up on his feet and grab his sword.

"Get off me friend!" Ordmar yelled as he charged towards the dragon.

While pinning wounded Xalorn to the snowy ground and scratching up his armor and hardened skin, Icasaracht turned her head to face Ordmar and breathe a cone of icy wind at him! Felicia almost got caught in the cone, but she managed to jump away in time. Ordmar hid behind his large shield, protecting himself from the fatally freezing wind. After trying to freeze him, Icasaracht turned her entire body clockwise and whipped her tail around, knocking us all down. Andy, who was near the corpse of Icasaracht's first mate, cast the Flame Arrow spell, and the magical fire arrow flew at Icasaracht and hit her right in the side of her body, under her left wing. She turned to look at Andy, snarling, and I knew right then that he must have wet his pants his pants at that moment, being under the gaze of an angry dragon.

Thinking fast, Andy used his dagger, which I have never seen him use before, to carve an opening in the corpse of the long dead dragon. While he was doing that, Icasaracht was coming towards him. Lysara tried to fire another arrow at the dragon, but she missed again. Then instead of firing another arrow, she had an idea. Andy quickly and frantically carved an opening big enough on the dead dragon's corpse to climb into just seconds before Icasaracht got close enough to bite him.

"Hey! Where is Andy?" Ordmar asked us while Gorris checked on wounded Xalorn all scratched up, bleeding and half buried in the snow.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I pointed over at the dragon corpse.

Inside the corpse, Andy was protected by the frozen skin of the dead dragon, but he was crowded in the darkness with the frozen liver and intestines close to his body and face, and Icasaracht outside is madly trying to claw her way through the skin to reach Andy. Taking advantage of the situation, we rushed forward. Lysara fired the only +3 arrow she had at Icasaracht, and the arrow's head lodged itself into the back of her head. Now we have her full attention. She leapt at us, and we scrambled out of the way.

She turned her attention towards me and tried to bite me. When her open mouth got near me, I swung Aihonen's sword at her snout, under her nostrils, cutting skin and drawing blood, and she pulled her head away from me and roared in pain. She is in so much pain now, she is losing blood from all the wounds we have inflicted, and the effects are showing subtly. She's not attacking us as quickly and viciously as she used to. We worked as a team, taking turns attacking, taking turns dodging, but soon Icasaracht decided to rely only on her breath weapon as a last resort attack. She tried to breathe icy wind on Xalorn, and he dodged it, but the dangerously icy wind caught his legs, and when Xalorn collapsed to the ground, he noticed that he can't feel or move his legs, and he is so cold his brain can't register the pain. We all felt cold. Even my hands were beginning to get numb in the freezing air. It almost felt as if I wasn't holding my sword anymore even though I still was, I just couldn't feel it in my hands anymore. Icasaracht tried to breathe the icy wind on Felicia this time, but Ordmar was close enough to her to get in front of her and use his shield to protect himself and her.

At that moment, Lysara used her Shadowdancer ability to summon Shadow monsters from the dark corners of the cavern to come help us fight Icasaracht, and they helped turn the tide of the fight to our favor, especially when one of them touched Icasaracht with its cold hands. Meanwhile Andy climbed out of the opening he made in the dead dragon's corpse and he noticed Icasaracht fighting us and three Shadow monsters, then he decided to cast a spell that he has been saving to use at this particular moment. The spell is called Finger of Death. Using verbal and somatic components to cast the spell, Andy successfully cast the spell and it worked, but not to the desired effect. Finger of Death didn't kill Icasaracht, but it did wound her greatly in a way that doesn't show on her body. She immediately collapsed in front of us, and she tried to get up again, struggling, trying to lift her head, but the pain was so great, her entire body felt heavy. Wasting no time, I charged forward and slashed at Icasaracht's head with so much force, the blade cut through her skull and she immediately collapsed dead without any resistance.

We didn't see this happen, but we knew that at that moment, Icasaracht's spirit left her dead body, and she moved to the preservation ward she told us about, a soul gem, which is in the darkness of the cavern northeast from where we were. We were looking around in confusion until we saw the eyes of a dragon statue light up in the northeastern corner of the cavern, illuminating the area around it, and in its mouth, we saw a large violet colored gem containing a transparent mist in it.

"That's Icasaracht's soul gem! Her spirit has gone inside it!" Felicia exclaimed.

I found my crossbow in the snow and loaded it with a bolt.

"She is not cheating death this time!" I declared.

I ran towards the statue until I got in range to fire at it. I don't know how much time I have before Icasaracht's soul will be sent to another ward, where the seven bodies of her lifeless children are being kept somewhere, but I knew I had to destroy the gem, and fast, even though my hands were numb by the cold air and I couldn't feel the crossbow in my hands. If I didn't act fast, Icasaracht will eventually fight us again in the body of another one of her offspring, and in the state we were in, we won't survive another fight against another white dragon. After getting 50 feet close to it, I crouched down on my right knee, took aim with my crossbow, and pulled the trigger, pulling it hard because I wasn't sure if my numb hand was actually pulling it. The bolt flew through the air towards the orb in the dragon statue's mouth, and the bolt struck the gem, shattering it to pieces, releasing Icasaracht's soul and forcing her to go to whatever afterlife dragons go to, her desires for revenge finally put to rest forever. After seeing the orb break, I fell on my back in the snow, breathing heavily, relieved that it is finally over.

"Jovan! are you okay?" Felicia called to me.

I waved my arm holding my crossbow with it to signal to them that I was okay, though I doubted that they could see me in the shadowy darkness.

We made our way back to Benornen's ship with Gorris and Andy helping wounded Xalorn walk back with us. We made the long trip back to Icewind Dale, we informed Hjollder and the entire Reghedmen tribe that Icasaracht is gone for good, and believe me when I say this, they were so overjoyed, they threw another party. That's not the best part. Gorris revived the Tribe of the Bear by allowing all the men and women from the Tribe of the Tiger and Seal to enter the reinstated tribe, and became its new king, with Xalorn as his right hand man and bodyguard. Also, the barbarians of the Tribe of the Caribou and Wolf joined the Tribe of the Elk to replace the barbarians who have fallen in battle against the Tribe of the Great Wyrm. Now there are only two barbarian tribes that exist in Icewind Dale now, the Tribe of the Elk and the Tribe of the Bear. As the new king of his tribe, Gorris allowed true delegates from the Ten Towns to come to the campsite and have a formal discussion about the terms of peace.

Gorris promised a somewhat peaceful relationship between the Ten Towns and the barbarian tribes of Icewind Dale as long as the Ten Towns don't try to expand their towns beyond the lakes, because if they do, their hand will be forced and they will fight back against expansion efforts without mercy. It is a peace of sorts, but I completely understood that sanctions must be made if the people of the Ten Towns are to continue living in Icewind Dale. Wylfdene's partially melted corpse was returned to the Burial Isle and placed back into its grave, soothing the wailing of the virgin spirits like Mebdinga and allowing them to return peacefully to... wherever it is they come from. As for Andy, he left our side, wandering Faerun, trying to find his place in life. I don't know what has become of him, but I wish I knew. Ordmar joined Clan Battlehammer, Lysara journeyed to Neverwinter for reasons I've never been able to learn.

As for me and Felicia, we remained in Icewind Dale, living in the town of Bryn Shander, and we got officially married, and not a moment too soon. A few months later, we learned that Felicia is not carrying just one child, but two! A boy AND a girl! When they were born, we named the boy Oliver, and we named the girl Ilivia. And as years passed, we raised our children on stories of our adventures, and eventually they grew up to become adventurers themselves. Oh, and about the very fragile peace between the barbarians and Ten Towns... It did not last long. A few decades after the Year of the Cold Soul, hostilities between the barbarians and the Ten Towns began to brew again, with barbarians frequently raiding them, up until the tribes tried to invade the Ten Towns in 1351 DR, only to be repelled back by not only the Ten Towns, but also the dwarves of Kelvin's Cairn. I don't know if Ordmar was there with them during that battle, I haven't spoken to him in years, and I seriously doubt that Gorris' son or grandson, if he lived long enough to have children I mean, was in charge of the attacks... a new king, a king likely from the Tribe of the Elk must have claimed the throne from Gorris. As I said before, my wife Felicia and I were there in Bryn Shander when the rogue mage from Luskan with the help of Crenshinibon tried to enslave the inhabitants of Icewind Dale in 1356 DR, but neither Felicia nor I were able to help Drizzt and his companions during that incident, we were retired adventurers... Temporarily, at least. And so, that is how my companions and I became the heroes of Icewind Dale many decades before Drizzt and his companions were hailed as heroes of Icewind Dale, and our journey in Icewind Dale finally came to an end.

* * *

_(Hammer, The Year of the Gauntlet, 1369 DR)_

_"...That's very interesting, Jovan. You've seen so much and experienced so many things..."_

_"Ha ha ha... Well, not everything. Why do you think I am here? There's never an end when it comes to being an adventurer. No matter how long you live as an adventurer, there are so many things that you haven't yet seen. You may be human, but having a long lifespan is irrelevant when it comes to the joys of adventuring. The excitement and danger is endless."_

_"Hmm. I'll remember that next time."_

_"You're young, but you have a very good start. Being a hero of Baldur's Gate... That's quite an accomplishment."_

_"Thanks. I-"_

_(someone peeks into the tent and clears his throat)_

_"Am I interrupting anything?"_

_"Oh! Marshal Nederlok! I was just-"_

_"No need to give me excuses, Jovan, you are not in trouble. I just need to talk to your new friend here. Ralis?"_

_"Yes sir?"_

_"Come with me. General Stonehand and Torsin de Lancie are having a meeting, and I want you to be there to hear it."_

_"Got it. Jovan? I'll get back to you later."_

_(Ralis leaves the tent)_

THE END


End file.
